Leaving Tokyo and heading for the mountains and the sea, I realized something. The sky seems so vast, and looking at the mountains, I can see at a glance which direction I'm walking. It's so refreshing.

Take the Azusa Limited Express from Shinjuku Station to Kofu Station, the gateway to Yamanashi, in about 90 minutes. Just a short trip away from the city can make you feel so refreshed! A Kenzo Tange building stands tall in front of the station, and on the other side of Kofu Station, the ruins of Kofu Castle tower. My Yamanashi trip began, astounded by the impressive architecture, filled with the power of both old and new.

Let me briefly explain why I decided to go to Yamanashi. Last year, FASHION HEADLINE began covering dyeing and weaving regions across Japan. In the process, I learned that both the grandmothers in the north and the grandfathers in the south who dye indigo add sugar and awamori to their dyeing to promote the fermentation of the indigo. Hmm, why do sugar and awamori promote fermentation? This question has been bothering me for a long time, and it led me to the question of what exactly happens during fermentation.

So I mentioned this to Hirofumi Torii of "Todaimoto Kurashi," who told me, "There's a designer who recently moved to Yamanashi because he loves fermentation so much," and introduced me to fermentation designer Hiraku Ogura.

So I went to Yamanashi to visit fermentation designer Hiraku Ogura, and with him as my navigator, I've decided to bring you two special features.

Special Feature 1: Life in Yamanashi

The first is "Life in Yamanashi," which explores the culture and activities that coexist with the blessings of the land and its historical background. In this feature, we visited the workshop of Inden-ya XIII Uehara Yuichi, a long-established maker of Koshu Inden, a Yamanashi specialty. We also visited Yamanashi wineries Kyokuyoshu and Marusan Winery to learn more about Koshu wine, whose appealing flavor draws many visitors to Yamanashi. We also met the Gomi siblings of Gomi Soy Sauce, who promote the appeal of miso, an essential seasoning for Yamanashi's specialty dish, houtou. We also visited Outsider Brewing, a brewery near Kofu Station that brews a manly craft beer. Yamanashi is also a treasure trove of food. There are so many delicious flavors that it's impossible to list them all here.

[Life in Yamanashi: Table of Contents]

1: Try making your own miso. The story of miso, an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine -- Gomi Soy Sauce

2: The process of creating craft beer with infinite possibilities -- Outsider Brewing

3: Koshu wine, nurtured with grapes and water from Yamanashi. --Asahi Shuzo, Marusan Winery (coming soon)

4: There's a reason why Inden was born. A craft that is an integral part of our daily lives -- Inden-ya (coming soon)

Feature 2: Fermentation Glasses

Next, in "Fermentation Glasses," Hiraku Ogura explores the invisible wonderland of fermentation. In this feature, if you look at the world around us through "fermentation glasses," you'll see a different world than usual. In our first episode, we took a look at miso, wine, craft beer, and yeast bread through fermentation glasses, set in Yamanashi.

We hope to continue looking at fermentation glasses in the future.

[Fermentation Glasses: Table of Contents]

1: Ask Hiraku Ogura about miso and other topics! What kind of seasoning is miso, anyway?

2: Ask Hiraku Ogura about the secret to delicious craft beer! Is craft beer sexy?

3: Ask Hiraku Ogura about the Japanese wisdom hidden in Inden! Is there a reason behind every technique? (Coming soon)

4: Fermentation designer Ogura Hiraku talks about fermentation in our daily lives. Fermentation is what makes bread rise! (Coming soon)

Please look forward to it!