The Scent of Sake (23 page)

Rie felt apprehensive as Jihei rose to speak next. She knew he could never equal her father in business or as a man, even in a speech.

142
oyce Lebra

“I am eternally grateful for being chosen to the headship of the Omura House. I will do my best to continue the leadership and long tradition of this house in the production of fine sake.” Perspiration glistened on his face as he continued. “I will always strive to ensure that the next generation continues the venerable traditions of White Tiger.”

His words were beginning to slur. Rie wished he would stop.

Had he been drinking before this important occasion?

Before finishing he asked for the continued efforts of Toji and the kurabito in maintaining the White Tiger quality, and of Kin and the clerks in selling to Edo and elsewhere. When he stopped, cries of “Banzai” and the raising of cups followed. Rie detected less enthusiasm than for her father’s words.

Kin spoke next, of his service of forty years, during which the house had survived fire, shipwreck, and other crises. He mentioned his own retirement, but promised to visit the office when Kinnosuke took over. Rie noticed Kinnosuke looking down modestly.

Toji spoke last, his honest, simple face the picture of loyalty and dedication. Rie felt as moved by Toji’s words as by her fa-ther’s. The skill of Toji and his workers from Tamba was in the last analysis what ensured the quality of White Tiger. He vowed to do his best to maintain its excellence. Rie was thankful she was keeping her eyes downcast, for she could feel tears beginning. Her gratitude for Toji’s loyalty was mingled with a sense of poignancy that her father had reached this advanced life passage. She recalled clearly her father’s words to her as a child, that one day the future of the house would rest on her shoulders. Now the enormous responsibility did. But with Jihei holding the reins of the house, she knew it would be harder than ever to ensure the house’s success.

The next day Jihei poked his head through the kitchen door, where Rie was instructing the cooks on the day’s meals. “Rie, Father wants you in the office,” he said.

“I’ll be right there.” The meal plans completed, she hurried to

The Scent
of
Sake

143

the office, where her father, Kin, Jihei, and Toji were assembled. Each held a tasting cup.

“It’s one of the finest sakes I’ve ever tasted,” said Kin. He held the cup to his nose, twirled it twice, took a sip, and spat into the spittoon. “There’s something special about this Yamaguchi sake from Nishinomiya. Here, compare it with this from the main brewery in Nada.”

Rie held out a cup. “Let me try it.”

Toji poured from a small barrel. Rie inhaled the aroma, sipped the Nishinomiya sake, then tried the Nada brew again.

“How could the two be so different?” Rie asked. “I don’t think they changed the recipe,” said Toji.

“It has to be one of three things,” Kinzaemon said. “The water, the yeast, or the mold. One of the three is definitely different.”

Kinnosuke entered the room, and Kin gave him samples of the two sakes. Kinno nodded and looked at Kin and Toji.

“The difference is obvious,” Kinzaemon said. He looked at Kinno. “Go to the Yamaguchi main office. Buy more of each. And see if you can learn why they’re different. You know some of the clerks there.”

Kinnosuke nodded. “Yes, I’ve been dealing with them these last few years, but you know they guard their secrets, we all do. Well, I do know one of the girls working there. Maybe I can learn something from her. She may tell me, if she knows.”

“Don’t delay, Kinno. But do your inquiring discretely,” Rie warned.

He bowed as he left. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Speculation continued in the office as Rie excused herself and went to attend to the children’s lessons. In the afternoon her cu-riosity about the Nishiomiya sake brought her back to the office, where Kin and her father were still pondering the problem. She was about to leave for the kitchen when Kinnosuke’s voice came from the outer office.

144
oyce Lebra

“I bought more sake,” he said, “and I got some information from Nobu. We talked where no one could hear us.”

Rie rested her fan under her chin and studied Kinno’s face. She thought she detected a special sense of longing when he spoke of Nobu. Well, he was of an age to marry, and it might do well to have access to what was going on at Yamaguchi’s.

“Listen!” Kinno could hardly contain his excitement. “She says their toji discovered a new well near their Nishinomiya kura. They used the water from that well for brewing this year. That’s why it tastes different from their Nada sake.” He straightened, bowed, and grinned.

“Amazing!” said Kinzaemon. “Let’s call Toji.” One of the clerks ran out of the office.

“We need to get some of that water immediately to try a test batch, even though it’s late in the season,” Kin said.

Toji entered the office, bowed, and looked at Kinzaemon, then at Kin.

“Taste this, Toji-san.” Kinzaemon held out a cup. “Kinno says Yamaguchi found a well near their Nishinomiya kura and used this water for the brew. If we got some of the water could we do a test run this late?”

“We could try a small test and use ice to keep it cold when the weather turns too warm.”

“Are they selling the water?” Rie asked. Jihei scratched his head. “Selling it?”

“Maybe I can get a sample,” Kinnosuke said.

Rie tapped her fan against her shoulder. “I wonder if we need a test when we know it’s the water that makes the difference. Maybe we should focus on getting access to the well so we can use it for next year’s brewing. Then maybe we could sell some to other brewers.”

Jihei looked puzzled. “If it’s so good, why would Yamaguchi

The Scent
of
Sake

145

sell any? And what would other brewers think if we started selling Yamaguchi’s water?”

“They’d think we’re getting ahead,” Rie retorted. Did her husband know
anything
?

Her father smiled, and Kin and Kinnosuke chuckled.

Jihei glowered. “How could we accomplish that? Why would Yamaguchi sell, to us especially?”

“Offer a good price,” Rie replied, “and do it right away before any other brewer thinks of it.” She paused and straightened. “No! Just a minute. We can’t go to Yamaguchi directly, you’re right. Send Jihei’s cousin Yunoki, or his chief clerk. The family has a heavy obligation to us. They can’t refuse. And Yamaguchi won’t remember their connection to us. We’ll pay for getting access to the well and for purchase. They aren’t likely to refuse. They’re in financial need. I hear one of their clerks took a lot of cash and vanished.” She smiled and hooked both thumbs in her obi. “It’s a question of timing.”

“This would be a bold move, wouldn’t it?” Jihei protested. Rie sighed and looked at her father, then at Kin.

“We’ll be first, I’m certain,” Kin said. “That will give us a big advantage. We need to find out who makes decisions there now, with Yamaguchi aging. It may be their chief clerk, Yusuke. I’ve known him for years.”

Rie’s voice rose. “Try for a big purchase. If necessary we could mix some of the water with our own well water, do some test-ing.” She took out her comb and fingered it.

“We need to find out the water table of the well too,” Toji said. Rie wished she could go to the Yunoki brewery herself. She sighed. “Kin-san, can you go early tomorrow and talk with Yunoki? Take Jihei with you. Have Yunoki offer Yamaguchi a big loan and then try to negotiate a purchase and access. What do

you say, Father?” She ignored Jihei.

146
oyce Lebra

Kinzaemon ran his hands through his hair. “Yes, Rie, we should go tomorrow.”

“Aren’t we moving too fast?” Jihei protested again.

Rie sighed again, louder this time. “Not to move tomorrow would be too slow. We’d lose our advantage.”

Kin nodded.

Jihei glared at her. Rie reserved her satisfied smile for herself.

Over the next few months the reputation of the Nishinomiya well, which became known as “Shrine Water,” spread among brewers of Kobe and beyond. At a meeting of the Brewers Association, brewer Ikeda said, “This Shrine Water is amazing. Just the right quality of minerals for top grade sake. And you know, Yunoki moved right away and got access to the spring. I hear they’re selling the water.”

“Damned aggressive!” growled old Yamaguchi. “I don’t know why Yusuke allowed it, and I don’t know how that small a brewery got the funds. I wish he had consulted with me first.”

“Quite a coup,” Kin said to Rie later. “It’s good you insisted that we move when we did. The demand for Shrine Water is growing; the price has soared.”

“I’ve never done anything that gave me this much satisfaction,” Rie said, cradling her elbows and smiling at Kin and her father.

Jihei just glowered at Rie, who had ignored whatever he said, dismissed him. Now Rie worried that he would try to get back at her. But how, that was the question.

“Can you believe it, Father?” Rie asked as she sat with her elderly parent later that evening, her thoughts turning to family. “Yoshi is thirteen, Fumi is ten, Kazu and Teru eight and nine. Even Sei is nearly six. They’re growing so fast. I suppose the next time I notice, they’ll be old enough to marry.” She nodded at her father, and noticed that his silver hair had thinned and the lines had deepened around his eyes.

“It means we’re aging just as fast, Ri-chan. It’s over ten years since Mother died. Nothing in life ever remains the same. Everything keeps changing.” He set the book he’d had in his hand down.

“Yes, it seems so. I’m glad we were able to act as go-betweens for Kinno and Nobu. It’s a good connection for us. We can keep better track of Yamaguchi now with Nobu here as Kinno’s wife. And I’m glad I was able to find a house for them nearby. So convenient for him.”

“You know, Yoshi went to his first Brewers Association the

148
oyce Lebra