Barley

Masunao Aso

6th Generation President of Yatsushika Brewery Co., Ltd. • 1981 Politics

Located in the mountainous region of central Oita Prefecture, Yatsushika Brewery is a sake manufacturer founded in 1864. It was during my generation that the brewery decided to release its first barley shochu.

Wanting to create something I could be proud of anywhere, I traveled to the United States in 1985 and successfully purchased oak barrels from Jim Beam. I started by aging barley shochu in barrels. It was, so to speak, a barley shochu of a higher rank. Thirteen years later, I named the shochu "Ginza no Suzume" (Sparrow of Ginza), after Ginza—the most famous entertainment district in Japan—and the sparrow (suzume), a bird found all over the world except for the North and South Poles.

"Ginza no Suzume" is also the title of a song named after the drinkers who once spent their nights in Ginza, elegantly getting drunk and talking with friends while forgetting the passage of time, likening them to sparrows. The lyrics were written by Akira Nogami, composed by Takio Niki, and sung by Hisaya Morishige, released in 1955.

Today, these "sparrows" fly around entertainment districts not only across Japan but all over the world. Chasing after them is my great pleasure.

Chie Sato

Representative of My Sweets Parlor (Low-Carb Sweets Specialty Shop) • 2007 Nursing

When I was in elementary school, I was captivated by the scene of a hedgehog walking through a barley field in the moonlight in a story called "The Barley Field" in my Japanese textbook. The golden, swaying barley taught me the warmth and kindness of life. Now, seeing my own child studying Japanese at the same age, it overlaps with that story, and it feels as if a gentle light is shining on my current life. After working as a nurse, I started a low-carb sweets shop in my hometown of Toyama, making treats that even people with illnesses can eat with a smile. At the same time, I continue to run science classes for children themed around "experimentation, observation, and creation." The time spent facing their curious gazes while making cute soaps or playing with familiar materials is a place of learning for me as well.

The "Oatmeal Rice Ball" I introduced in a newspaper series was my own experiment utilizing the power of barley. It can be made easily without the need for a rice cooker, and I have refined it so that children enjoy it.

I am happy to be able to make celebratory cakes every day. The dots have connected to make me who I am today. Like the barley in that textbook, I want to cherish each day as I deliver a gentle warmth to someone's heart.

Megumi Unoura

Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Keio University

Anyone who immediately associates the word "Mugi" (Barley) with "Maicheng" (Barley Castle) must be a true connoisseur of the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

Maicheng is the site of Guan Yu's final moments. In 219 AD, Guan Yu, who was defending Jingzhou, was attacked from behind by Lu Meng of Wu and died in battle here. While the historical text "Records of the Three Kingdoms" records Guan Yu's death briefly, the novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" elaborately depicts his heroic figure and his end, touching the hearts of many readers.

Today, approximately 1,800 years later, Maicheng stands quietly in a rural area of Dangyang City, Hubei Province, China, with only an earthen mound and a monument inscribed with "Maicheng Ruins" remaining. It is not a flashy tourist destination, but some enthusiastic Japanese fans of the Three Kingdoms visit this place as a "pilgrimage to a sacred site." Nearby is the tomb of Zhou Cang, Guan Yu's close aide who appears only in the stories. This scene, where historical fact and fiction intersect, shows how deeply the stories of the Three Kingdoms have captured people's hearts.

The origin of the name Maicheng is uncertain, but perhaps barley fields once spread across the surrounding area. Even if the castle has crumbled, human activities are passed down continuously. That landscape, too, tells a quiet history.

Mitsuhiro Watanabe

Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University

My research career has moved through various laboratories in Japan and abroad, focusing on metabolic syndrome centered on adipocytes, bile acid function analysis in metabolism, and then gut bacteria derived from those bile acids. However, my awareness of trying to approach the very root of diseases has remained unchanged.

Within that journey, I became interested in the soluble dietary fiber abundantly contained in barley about 15 years ago and became a supporter of the Barley Foods Promotion Council. Subsequently, barley beta-glucan was approved for the Foods with Function Claims, which was our goal. The intake of soluble dietary fiber, which is decreasing year by year, cannot be overlooked. In addition to insoluble dietary fiber, barley is rich in beta-glucan, a soluble dietary fiber that can be easily consumed in daily meals. It is known to have effects such as lowering blood cholesterol, suppressing the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels, and improving the intestinal environment. Even those who are reluctant to mix it with rice can enjoy it deliciously by making it into risotto or fried rice, or mixing it into salads. Furthermore, there are various noodle products available recently, providing a wealth of options. The basis of health is to be delicious and enjoyable.