Interest

Glass Mask Sake Gets Resurgence After COVID-19

Back in 1997, the "Kurenai Tennyo" ("The Crimson Goddess") play from Suzue Miuchi's classic Glass Mask manga inspired a sake bottle. It was initially sold as a way of praying for the recovery of the Kansai region after the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. Now, almost 24 years later, that same brand of goods is getting a second run, this time to pray for the end of COVID-19.

The sake bottle is a collaboration with the Kobe-based sake brewery Yasufuku Matashirо̄ Shо̄ten. The brewery is best known for the Daigoku Masamune brand, which was established 270 years ago. Tragically, the storehouses were destroyed in the 1995 earthquake. The last remaining storehouse reached the end of its life in 2013 and was on the verge of bankruptcy, but the neighboring Hatsukuru Sake Brewing began sharing the facility. The company continues to make sake to this day.

The story depicted in Glass Mask is tied to the Kansai region. Miuchi was initially inspired to write the tale of the Crimson Goddess when she visited Kobe as part of support for the region after the earthquake. She was struck by the photo of an old plum tree when she saw when she visited her first brewery. The tree struck her as resembling a Bodhisattva statue, which formed the basis of the character of the Crimson Goddess. In the story, the deity figure appears in order to heal a ruined world.

Miuchi commented on the collaboration as follows: "The art of sake making collects the blessings of the natural world, such as the sun, air, earth, and water. It is an important sacred ritual since the Yamato Period. That's why I wanted The Crimson Goddess to be represented by high-class sake that venerates the gods and values the earth's blessings of 'rice' and 'water.' Sake is the essence of the natural world's blessings, and it is also the essence of Japanese culture. In this sense, I hope that you can partake in the sake while thinking of it as a symbol of a return to nature, as well as appreciation for it."

The sake, which is produced entirely in the Hyogo Prefecture, costs 2,800 yen (approximately US$27) per bottle. It can be purchased from the brewery's online store or from the physical store.

In Glass Mask, Maya Kitajima and Ayumi Himekawa are young, aspiring stage actresses aiming to star in "The Crimson Goddess." The seasoned actress Chigusa Tsukikage mentors them to become her successor in the lead role. The play has inspired a real-world "creative opera" adaptation and a shinsaku Noh (modern Noh play) adaptation.

Source: Daily