We wish you all a happy new year 2022! This is the year of the tiger, the same one that came third in the crazy race of the Chinese zodiac animals, after the mighty ox duped by the rat. The Tiger is optimistic, always moving forward and its strength lies in its desire for change!



DO YOU KNOW FUKUBUKURO?
To start 2022 with a bang, we're going to tell you about a Japanese shopping tradition, the "Fukubukuro" (literally "good luck bag"). Those of you who have had the opportunity to be in Japan at New Year's Eve may have seen the enthusiasm it triggers in the shops. It is indeed in the first days of January that this "surprise bag" is offered, which contains a number of items whose nature is more or less known, and which is snatched up for its attractive price.


The fukubukuro is a red bag that shops fill with discounted items.

The tradition of fukubukuro originated in the Edo period in Tokyo. The owner of the Kimono shop "Echigoya" had the idea to prepare bags in which he had placed a series of kimono fabrics at low prices. The bags were so successful that they were copied all over the city and the tradition spread to the whole country, as well as to other types of items. Of course, the big brands got involved and today you can buy golf sets in a fukubukuro, electronic equipment, jewellery... For the anecdote, the most expensive fukubukuro in history was sold in a jewellery shop in Ginza in Tokyo for the modest sum of 1.7 million euros!

TODAY'S QUESTION 
Here is a mini section that we have decided to add at the end of each newsletter. A section in which we try to briefly answer a question asked by a customer or visitor.

How to choose a sake to drink warm?

It is true that the season lends itself to this! As a rule of thumb, one should choose a Futsuushu, a Honjozo, or a Junmai for a hot sake. Indeed, these sakes generally have a rather weak nose and the fact of heating them will reveal beautiful aromas, making them smoother and more supple in the mouth. On the other hand, it is not recommended to heat Ginjo and Daïginjo type sakes. Although there are a few exceptions, their superb fruity and floral aromas disappear when the temperature is raised. It would be a shame to spoil them... Finally, if you want to try the same sake at different times and temperatures, try it fresh first, then heat it up, not the other way around!

Do not hesitate to ask us your questions, we will answer them in order, with great pleasure and we can develop them later.