To mark the new year, OUR FAVOURITE SHOP in Shirokane is hosting the second special exhibition of the experiential art project "Standing Sake Bar Yoigoma," created by KIGI and the Yoigoma Project Team. The exhibition runs until February 16th.


Have you heard of the "bekuhai," a traditional Japanese drinking cup? Normally, sake cups are meant to be placed on the table while still filled, so no matter how strong your drink, it's fine to sip it slowly. However, with Kahai, the cups are sharp, have unique shapes, and have holes in them, so they cannot be placed on the stand until they have been completely drunk.

"Sakazuki/Suikomo" by KIGI and the Suikomo Project Team

To play Kahai, a large group of people take turns spinning the top in a circle, choosing their own cup to drink from, while accompanied by traditional Japanese drinking songs such as "The Song of the Drunken God." KIGI's Suikomo is a unique, experiential artwork inspired by this traditional drinking game. This project was first announced in July 2018 at the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2018 / Hojoki Shiki in Niigata. It was unveiled as an experiential artwork in the form of a four-and-a-half-tatami-mat "Standing Sake Bar Suikokura," a bar offering "Sake Suikokura" in collaboration with KIGI's "Sakazuki Suikokura" and a Niigata sake brewery. The bar was open every day for the approximately 50 days of the festival, and many visitors came to enjoy a drink.

"Standing Sake Bar Suikokura"
This exhibition can be considered an evolved version of that. We highly recommend visiting during the hours when you can experience the "Standing Sake Bar Suikora" hosted by a host, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM, and Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from 12:30 PM to 7:00 PM. Here's a report from a slightly tipsy editor about the Suikora experience he had at the venue.




We participated on the opening night. Dice are rolled using a masu (wooden box) marked with the two characters "sake" and "sake cup." The result of the "sake" roll determines the grade of the sake, and the result of the "sake cup" roll determines the size of the cup. The cups are pine and bamboo. If you roll a double, you get the largest crane and turtle. You can also try the small plum cup for free.


Next, the person spinning the cup spins it like a top. At first, the cup spins vigorously, but eventually it starts to sway and lose its balance, like a drunk person. Meanwhile, the person spinning the sake bowl strikes a wooden clapper in time with the rhythm of the sake bowl's rotation.



When the sake bowl stops spinning, you pick it up. Written on the bowl is the phrase "When you get drunk, the top spins too." The dice are 2, and the sake is "Junmai Ginjo." You take a big gulp.

This is the second exhibition following its debut at the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale. In addition to the sake and spinning tops, visitors can also experience the leisurely amusement of writing calligraphy with their non-dominant hand, a term coined by KIGI. It's a similar experience to New Year's calligraphy, but with a non-dominant hand (meaning drunken calligraphy). The calligraphy will be offered to Takenobu Inari Shrine in Kyoto after the exhibition closes.


"Drunken Calligraphy"
On February 1st, KIGI's Ryosuke Uehara and Yoshie Watanabe will host a talk event titled "Drunken Tops and Auto Reverse," featuring guest Takuma Takasaki, author of the novel "Auto Reverse" (published in 2019). Admission is free. Reservations are required for the event. The planned dates when the KIGI duo will be in attendance are also being published. For further details, please check the OFS official website (http://ofs.tokyo/).

The culture of celebration and the culture of drinking have existed side by side since ancient times. We hope that 2020 will be a good year, and come to this exhibition to experience Japan's unique drinking culture, which is bold and cheerful, yet beautiful and refined.