As cruel as disasters can be, they can also bring needed change — and even miracles. When the March 11 earthquake and tsunami hit sake brewery Hitakami in the city of Ishinomaki, owner Takahiro Hirai thought it was the end. Since the brewery’s founding in 1861, the family-run boutique sake business had survived numerous natural calamities. But this one was worse. When the violent shaking of the earthquake subsided and Hirai was able to wade through the knee-high tsunami water, he headed for the kura, the sturdy but old wooden structure where Hitakami’s artisanal sake has been brewed for five generations.
There, he discovered gaping cracks in the roof and structure. The 12
fermenting tanks had tipped over with the sake contents spread across
the floor. “It was like a white carpet,” he says. “I could hear the
sound of ‘shuwaaaa’ echoing in the building. It seemed as if the sake
was fighting for its life and shouting out, ‘Help me!'” Electricity was
restored 10 days later, but it was 14 days before Hirai and his employees could start the pressing. Normally, sake in this state goes bad after one week, but the cold weather had slowed the process. “I thought the fermentation had gone too far and we’d have to discard everything. I had almost lost hope,” he says. “But it turned out to be full of life, with an excellent strong, thick flavor, although very different from our usual style.” He adds, “It inspired us and gave us the courage we needed, so we decided to call it “The Light of Hope.’ It was a miracle.”
