Azucca e Azzuco - Aichi's Only Winery

When Daisuke and Azusa Suzaki begin to sell this season’s wine later this month they will be putting Aichi Prefecture on the winery map.

The husband-and-wife team have toiled for 15 years for this, the first batch of bottles that can truly claim to be Aichi’s first fully locally produced wine.

Four hundred liters, or 539 bottles, will go on sale on Monday, representing 10 percent of this year’s harvest.

“It is light with a fresh taste,” said Daisuke. The estimated price is ¥2,000 per bottle.

The pair, from the city of Toyota, opened a winery in May near their home.

Inside the wooden building the sweet aroma of grapes filled the air as the Suzakis used machines to crush the fruit, the juice pouring into barrels.

“I want to prove that Aichi Prefecture, too, can make good wine,” Daisuke said.

The couple’s journey began in Italy. Daisuke was drawn to that nation’s beautiful vineyard landscapes. He quit his job and after marriage in 2000 he and his wife moved to Tuscany.

The newlyweds spent the following three years learning about harvesting and wine production.

Daisuke realized that although grapes are grown in a variety of different habitats in Italy, from the mountains to the coast, wherever he went farmers would tell him that their local grapes produced the best wine.

Struck by the locals’ faith, the Suzakis decided to try making a wine from grapes suited to the climate and soil of Aichi Prefecture.

Conventional wisdom has it that prefectures such as Yamanashi and Nagano, with their sharp swings in summer temperature, nurture grapes best. In contrast, Aichi’s climate is warm in summer with little variation.

However, the pair were determined to go ahead and used a variety of European grape which they thought was suited to Toyota.

Sometimes the harvests failed, but the pair worked through the problems and in time came to double the size of the farm, to 1.3 hectares.

They produced their first wine in 2009. However, they shipped the raw material to companies in Nagano and Gifu prefectures for processing and were unable to call it a true Aichi product.

In March 2013, Toyota joined the list of districts permitted to produce alcohol from fruit. This easing of restrictions meant small firms could obtain alcohol production licenses. The Suzakis received one and set about building their winery.

It has paid off. The Aichi Prefectural Brewery Association has certified their wine as the only one produced from scratch within the prefecture.

Only a fraction of this year’s harvest is going on sale this month, as the couple are leaving the rest to mature in barrels to be bottled and sold next year.

Customers can place orders for the wine by calling 0565-42-2236 or by visiting the couple’s website: www11.ocn.ne.jp/~azu-azu/ .

Chunichi

Nagoya Couple Share Art For Healing

"Healing" one of Chabata's works

 A couple from Nagoya have been posting daily pictures of heart-shaped images dedicated to those cleaning up the mess at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and other disaster-stricken parts of the Tohoku region.

On the fourth anniversary of the quake-tsunami tragedy, Anri Gallery in Chikusa Ward, Nagoya, will display all the hearts drawn by 59-year-old illustrator Kazuya Chabata.

 

 

Titled “1,446 Hearts,” the exhibition will be run from March 11 until March 17.

Chabata started the project because he felt the need to act after hearing the shocking news of the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake.

“I wanted to do something that I could continue every day,” said the Nagoya resident.

He decided to draw one heart on his computer every morning and dedicate it to areas affected by the disaster.

The first one was completed on March 28, 2011, and posted on Facebook. Drawn in a warm orange color, it was the first time Chabata had ever painted using a computer.

Every day after that, he would wake up at 5:30 a.m. and draw different hearts that reflected his mood, the season or the weather on that day.

He also gave them various titles, including “Kyo no Kimochi” (“My Emotion Today”),” “Kumo ga Funwari” (“Fluffy Cloud”),” “Minna ni Todoku” (“Sharing with You”).

That same year in July, his wife, Hiromi, started tweeting the digital pictures to workers at the nuclear plant, who responded back.

“Thank you for your support,” one worker said, while another wrote, “I look forward to these images every day.”

Encouraged by their response, Chabata continued his work.

Almost 18 months later, he displayed 30 of his artworks in a gallery in the city of Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture.

Many workers from the plant came to view the exhibition, including “Happy-san” and “Sunny-san,” who have been tweeting the situation live on their accounts as they clean up the area.

All of the images he has drawn until this March 11 will be printed on inkjet printers and put on display.

“Let’s remind (the workers) that we are here to support them and that we have not forgotten about them,” the Chabatas said in a statement.

Akihiro Yoshikawa, head of Appreciate Fukushima Workers, a group of local residents involved in the restoration work, will give a talk at Anri Gallery on March 14 at 5 p.m.

Admission will be free.

AFP

Port Of Nagoya Keeps Number One Spot

Driven by Toyota auto shipments, the Port of Nagoya easily retained its status as the biggest export hub among Japan's airports and seaports in 2014 in terms of value, according to figures from customs authorities.

The seaport grabbed that status from Narita International Airport near Tokyo for the first time in 2012. The gap in annual exports between the Nagoya and Narita International Airport has since continued to widen. But after growing sharply in 2013, the gap expanded only marginally in 2014, as exports from Narita International Airport rose at a slightly faster pace than those from Nagoya.

According to Nagoya Customs, Nagoya’s exports rose for the fifth year in a row in 2014, increasing 2.9 percent from the previous year to 11.374 trillion yen (US$95.6 billion).

The growth in the Nagoya’s exports in 2014 was led by autos, which climbed 4.1 percent year-on-year to 3.1 trillion yen, or more than a quarter of the port’s overall overseas shipments. The central Japanese prefecture is home to Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s biggest carmaker, and many other auto-related companies.

Also contributing to the growth in Nagoya’s exports in 2014 were metal processing machinery and aircraft. While exports of metal processing machinery jumped 15.2 percent to 517 billion yen, those of airplanes soared 30.2 percent to 287 billion yen.

Exports of parts for audio visual equipment posted a particularly sharp year-on-year decline of 59.5 percent in 2014, totaling 36 billion yen.

Meanwhile, Narita's exports rose for the second straight year in 2014, increasing 3.2 percent from the previous year to 8.1 trillion yen, according to Tokyo Customs.

The growth in Narita's exports in 2014 was led by semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which surged 18.2 percent from a year earlier to 471 billion yen. Metal products were the second-biggest contributor to the airport’s overall export growth in 2014, with their shipments swelling 24 percent year-on-year to 136 billion yen.

Naritaretained its status as the largest import hub among the Japanese airports and seaports in 2014. Its imports from foreign countries rose for the third consecutive year, climbing 6.1 percent to nearly 11.7 trillion yen.

The Port of Tokyo was Japan’s second-largest import hub in 2014, importing 11 trillion yen worth of goods from foreign countries, up 9.6 percent from 2013 and marking the fifth successive annual growth.

Nagoya’s imports totaled 5.716 trillion yen in 2014, up 8.8 percent from the previous year and marking the fifth straight annual increase.

Nagoya exports much more than it imports. The gap between the port’s exports and imports amounted to 5.658 trillion yen in 2014, down 2.5 percent from 2013 and marking the first annual decline in three years. Nagoya posted the biggest such gap among the Japanese airports and seaports for the 17th year in a row in 2014.

JOC

Eunice Kirwa Wins Nagoya Marathon

Eunice Kirwa

 

Breaking away from Mariya Konovalova and Sairi Maeda after 31km, Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa of Bahrain won the 2015 Nagoya Womens Marathon  in 2:22:08, the fastest time in the history of the marathon.

In 2010 when the race went from being an elite-only to a mass-participation event, Kirwa’s winning time was faster than the previous course record of 2:22:19, recorded 15 years ago by 2000 Olympic champion Naoko Takahashi.

During the award ceremony Kirwa said: “I did not expect to run such a fast time. I was thinking of a time around 2:23, so I am satisfied with my time. I always wanted to run the Nagoya Women’s Marathon, so I am happy to win the race today.”

Finishing second, with a time of 2:22:27, 40-year-old Mariya Konovalova of Russia who won last year set a personal best and broke the womens 40 and over record. Before today, the fastest marathon by a woman older than 40 was 2:24:54 by Irina Mikitenko at the 2013 Berlin Marathon. Konovalova improved on that mark by more than two minutes. Konovalova, a world finalist over 5000m 20 years ago, had a previous PB of 2:22:46.

Placing third was Sairi Maeda. Running just the second marathon of her career, Maeda improved her personal best by nearly four minutes from 2:26:46 to 2:22:48, moving to eighth on the national all-time list with the fastest performance by a Japanese woman since 2007.

Police Prepare For Nagoya Womens Marathon

Police on Friday will be preparing for Sunday's Womens Marathon.  The route of the marathon which begins at Nagoya Dome goes along Sakura Dori to Hirokoji Dori in front of Nagoya Station and then heads to Osu Machi through Sakae then to Sakura Dori back to Nagoya Dome.

Police will be practicing their responses to such emergencies as cars refusing to stop, pedestrians encroaching barricades, and bomb threats.  Police from New York City and London will be advising the practice and helping on Sunday.  A group of 15 police officers will be running along with the marathon to assure a fast response to immediate emergencies affecting participants.

Police say there could be traffic snarls today as well as some pedestrian crossings closed along the marathon route.  Police helicopters will also be monitoring the practice.

The full length of the marathon is 37km, while there are 30km and 25km finishes approved as well.  The winner of the full marathon, however; is the official time winner.

This is the 17th Womens Marathon and is sponsored by Menard Cosmetics.  The favored winner this year is last year's winner Mariya Konovalova of Russia.

Daniel Rea

Shokoin Temple Helps Troubled Teens Finish School

Teens with troubled backgrounds complete high school through free lessons in the main hall of a Buddhist temple in Nagoya.

 

Many teens with difficult family circumstances give up on education and join the workforce after the third year of junior high school, said Daiyu Hironaka, 34, who launched the program in 2007.

The project accepts teens from orphanages as well as from single-parent families with an annual income below ¥2 million (about $16,800). They study with volunteer teachers every Thursday and Sunday afternoon in the main hall of Shokoin Temple, on the eighth floor of a building in Chikusa Ward.

“Students who don’t know how to study are treated as troublemakers at school,” said a 15-year-old third-year junior high school student who has been living in an orphanage since his parents divorced.

“I feel relaxed studying here and teachers help me until I can understand,” he said.

“Children who are abandoned by their parents and are unable to go to school lack basic academic skills,” Hironaka said. “But should they blame themselves for it?”

The problem is growing more serious as the ratio of children from poverty-stricken families rises to new highs.

Hironaka, the eldest son of the chief priest of the temple, which belongs to the Jodo Shu (Pure Land school), visited numerous cram schools seeking support for his vision that “education should be equally available to all.”

He came up empty-handed until Meigakukan Co. agreed to work with him.

Takeshi Sato, 51, who represents Meigakukan and has a disabled family member, said: “As an educator, I’ve always wanted to support the weak in society.”

Sato offered a free supply of teachers and study materials to the program, which has seen more than 100 children participate.

“The spirit of mutual care is a basic teaching of Buddhism,” Hironaka said. “There are more temples than convenience stores, and the future of children will surely change if temples offer their support regardless of religious sect.”

Chunichi News

4.6 Quake Rattles Nagoya, Gifu

A 4.6 earthquake shook Nagoya and Gifu in the early morning hours.

The quake was centered at Kasamatsu, Gifu at a depth of 39 km.  No injuries were reported and damage was minimal.

Nagoya Oceans Win Championship Again

Nagoya Oceans remained the only champion in the history of Japan’s futsal league, winning their eighth straight F-League title on Tuesday.

Oceans, who started with a one-win advantage in the best-of-three playoff as the top team in the league standings, retained the title with a thrilling 2-0 victory over Shriker Osaka in a 10-minute extra-time session.

After their first match ended in a draw, Shriker won the second 6-5, thereby knotting the playoff at one game apiece and forcing the extra-time session to decide the outcome. 

Nagoya’s Kaoru Morioka was named MVP for the second consecutive year and fourth time overall. 

Yomiuri

Aichi Police Describe Tomoko Mori Murder Scene

Murder victim Tomoko Mori

A female 19-year-old student who admitted killing an elderly woman and poisoning a male high school classmate appeared to show no discomfort over what she did, allowing the woman’s body to remain in her apartment for weeks as it decomposed.

 

The Aichi Prefectural Police said Monday the Nagoya University student appeared to have made no effort to cover up the killing of the 77-year-old woman, a member of a religious group whom she had befriended.

The day after the slaying, she took an overnight bus from Nagoya to Miyagi Prefecture to stay with her parents, the police said.

They said the teen left Tomoko Mori’s body in the bathroom of her Nagoya apartment as it decomposed and did not try to seal the door frame to prevent the foul stench pervading the unit.

The student appeared to have left clues of her state of mind on Twitter, using an account that the police have confirmed was hers. The user’s profile declared that she expected to “go to jail” after graduating from university, followed by “detention center.”

She posted numerous messages expressing sympathy for the culprits in prominent murder cases and declared that she, too, wanted to kill.

Among the accounts she followed were those related to homicides such as the Akihabara, Tokyo, stabbing spree in June 2008 and the Aum Shinrikyo cult’s deadly gas attack on the Tokyo subway system in 1995.

She posted Twitter messages almost daily since last April, but her activity decreased sharply after the chilling message “I finally did it” appeared.

Mori is believed to have died that day at around noon. She disappeared after attending a regular gathering of her religious group but was seen with the student at the meeting.

The teenager is believed to have invited Mori to her apartment, where she allegedly bludgeoned the woman with a hatchet and then strangled her to death.

Police entered the suspect’s apartment  where they found the woman’s corpse decomposing in the bathroom.

They said the doorway had not been sealed and there was no sign that the student had used air fresheners to try to neutralize the stench.

The shoes Mori had been wearing that day were still at the door and her handbag containing a cellphone and wallet remained untouched in the living room, according to the police.

They also said they seized chemical substances from the apartment that may have been used in the earlier poisoning of a former high school classmate. The 19-year-old has allegedly admitted to the act.

The police said evidence from the 2012 case, in which a male student suddenly fell ill and reported a loss of vision, suggested poisoning by thallium, a chemical used in rodent bait.

They are investigating whether thallium was among the substances seized from the apartment.

There was, however, a clue on the Twitter account that she had obtained the poison.

“Bought thallium sulfate,” it read. “Isn’t 1 gram of thallium sulfate the median lethal dose?”