Kanpai

Ichiki

Day 20: The Media Arrives

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Today is another slower day at the distillery since Sunday's closure means no imo washing today. I get to sleep in until a decadent 7am before starting the day's work. Over breakfast Tekkan-san informs me that the local newspaper and government offices will be visiting to conduct an interview with me - they'd caught wind of my internship through his facebook page.

Day 19: Saruya – Monkeys in the Woods

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To say that Saruya ("monkey house") is in Satsuma-Sendai is kind of like saying that Staten Island is in New York City. Technically it is, but only technically. Driving down a dark country road surrounded by thick old forest we come upon a small parking lot in front of a windowless building decorated with shochu bottles and a neon sign. This was our destination. There's not another building in sight.

Day 15: A Full Day’s Work

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I was up at 6am to wash the sweet potatoes – all 900 kg this time. Each basket of imo are put into a washing machine for 90 seconds. The timer will tell you how long it takes for you to load your next basket. When I first started I was hovering around 60 seconds to make the transition – get the washed imo out and put the next basket of dirty imo in. Today I managed to get this down to 45 or so seconds on average and as low as 39 seconds.