The Scent of Sake (38 page)

“Mother, where are you?” Fumi’s voice floated in from the corridor.

“In here, Fumi,” Rie answered.

Fumi glided into the room and joined Rie in front of the tokonoma.

Rie glanced at her daughter’s glowing complexion. “It’s good to see you, dear. And you’re looking so well, so happy,” the last almost a question. “I’m glad we found you a house so close by. It’s not really as if you’ve left, is it?”

“It’s very convenient for Eitaro. I know he appreciates being close by. And, you know, I don’t think he objected to becoming a mukoyoshi.”

Rie smiled. “Why should he? We’re a house everyone respects. He’ll have his own branch soon. And he seems to be working well with Kinno, and especially with Sei.” Rie did not mention Yoshitaro, whose moods had become blacker over the years since his father had died. “It will be good for the future of the house.

The Scent
of
Sake

239

And speaking of Sei, his marriage will really work out well, don’t you think? But you know, it will be hard, being so indebted to the Nakanos after so many weddings.”

Fumi reached for a chrysanthemum stalk and pulled it from the vase. “You don’t mind, Mother?” Fumi began to rearrange the flowers.

“No, dear. You’ve always been better at ikebana than I.”

Rie sat back on her heels and watched Fumi arrange the flowers, and rearrange them.

Fumi rose abruptly. “I want to see Ume, Mother. I’ll bring her,” she said as she left the room.

She returned a few minutes later carrying the baby, bouncing her up and down in time to a nursery rhyme she began to hum. The baby gurgled and Fumi hugged her, then put her on the tatami between herself and Rie.

Rie reached over and took her on her lap.

“It seems good to have a baby in the house again, doesn’t it, Mother?”

Rie forced a smile.

“Of course you always seem so engrossed in the brewery you probably haven’t had time to bond with the baby.”

Rie rocked the baby. “The family and the brewery are equally important to me, Fumi. They are really one and the same. And I am the senior member here, have been for some time.”

Rie began to sing a folk tune to Ume, who chortled loudly.

Fumi reached for a tea tray on the table and poured a cup for her mother. She pushed the cup toward Rie, and reached for Ume.

“Have some tea, Mother. I really came for a reason this morning.”

Rie reached for the teacup, glancing at Fumi. “What is it, dear?”

Fumi paused before answering. “I’m pregnant. I’m going to

240
oyce Lebra

have a baby.” Fumi smiled and leaned back to watch her mother’s reaction.

Rie’s face lit up. “Wonderful! Are you certain? When is it due?” “I think in five and half months, Mother.”

“And how do you feel? Are you all right? Be careful of your diet, won’t you?”

“As you can see, Mother, I’m quite healthy.” Fumi laughed. “That’s marvelous, Fumi. Then your baby won’t be much

younger than Ume. And I hope and pray it’s a boy.”

“Now, Mother, why would you hope for a boy? You’ve always told us merchant houses prefer girl babies, so they can find the best mukoyoshi around. But I’m sure you have some reason, some ulterior motive.” Fumi laughed and Rie joined in, hand over her mouth. She leaned back and looked at Fumi but did not reply to her question.

Seisaburo’s marriage to Mari Yamada of the East Nada brewing family in April 1858, was totally satisfactory to Rie. The wedding also marked the establishment of the southern branch of the Omura House with Seisaburo as head, and of the northern branch under the headship of Eitaro. Rie could barely conceal her pride from the guests gathered in the reception hall. Yoshitaro presided, and Rie had to admit that he needed to be the one to perform this function. She could not make public the fact that she still held the seal without causing Yoshi to lose face among the other brewers who were his peers, but she knew it still rankled.

“It went very well, don’t you think, Tama?” Rie asked in the office the day after the wedding.

“Well enough, Mother,” Tama said in measured tones. Rie was pleased whenever she caught Tama listening outside the office door, learning what she could of the business, as Rie herself had done growing up.

242
oyce Lebra

“And Kinno-san, how are we doing about buying and selling kuras? We have nine brewing now, don’t we, counting Eitaro’s and Sei’s?”

“That’s right. We’ve been able to turn over one every three or four months recently. It may be a seasonal thing, but we’re still the only ones doing it. And we’re making a good profit at it.” He smiled and bowed.

“Good. What are the other brewers saying in the association?” Rie asked, looking at Eitaro and turning her comb over in her hand.

“I think they’re amazed, Mother, and perhaps a bit envious too. I heard some of them talking at the last meeting. And Saburo Kato came up to me and remarked about Kinno’s ability. They’ve all noticed.”

Rie felt a sudden warmth at the mention of Saburo Kato.

Kinnosuke bowed to Rie. “Thanks to your training, I’ve learned the importance of timing.”

Never one to let Rie enjoy her successes, Yoshi said, “But Mother, Father always cautioned about going too far in advance of the others. You know the old saying about the peg that stands up. Soon you will attract the attention of the wrong person who may not like that we are so successful, more successful than any other house. It might actually turn out to be an embarrassment.” “Yoshi is right,” said Kinnosuke. “And you know, Oku-san, I see a lot of political changes now. The loyalists are speaking out against the Bakufu. And the shogunal edicts can’t be enforced. The whole samurai class is indebted to the merchants and the structure is collapsing. However, I believe these problems offer new opportunities for us.” Kinnosuke leaned forward with his

folded hands on the table and looked at Rie.

“Well, what are you suggesting, Kinno? Could we expand our markets somehow?”

The Scent
of
Sake

243

He blinked rapidly. “Perhaps with sales in Edo continuing to expand, we could consider opening new routes to markets farther north and south.”

Rie took out her fan and held it suspended. “You mean Tohoku and Shikoku, or as far south as Kyushu?”

“I think both directions,” Kinnosuke replied.

“But the northerners are so fond of their local sake,” Yoshitaro said. “They’re loyal to their brands. They’re always boasting that their sake is best. It would be hard to break in there.”

“That’s true, Yoshi,” Rie said. “But we don’t want to stag-nate, or get complacent about our success.” Rie paused to give herself time to overcome her irritation. Yoshi was sounding a bit too much like Jihei for her taste. “And since our Edo market is secure, why don’t we set up an office there, study the situation? Could you take the time to go to Edo and do that?” Rie asked, tapping her fan on the table and looking at Kinnosuke.

He nodded after each of Rie’s sentences. “We have good connections in Nihonbashi. Yes, I’d like to go before other brewers get the idea.”

“Especially Yamaguchi. Then leave as soon as you can, Kinno-san.” Rie fanned herself rapidly, then replaced her fan in her obi, avoiding the growing resentment she saw in Yoshi’s eyes.

Rie called Eitaro over to hear Kinnosuke’s report on his trip to Edo. Yoshitaro wanted Seisaburo to be present as well. Rie wondered if Yoshitaro wanted to reduce Eitaro’s voice in the discussion. It seemed, no matter the topic, Yoshi was always reluctant to include Eitaro. In any case, Seisaburo’s presence in any matter affecting a major decision was welcome. Rie paused before speaking to look around the table at these four grown men, all of whom she had trained: her own son, Fumi’s adopted husband, O-Toki’s son, and her chief clerk.

244
oyce Lebra

She straightened in her seat. “Well, Kinno-san, what did you learn in Edo?”

He bowed to Rie and Yoshitaro. “Everything is changing there. The Bakufu grows weaker by the day. They say the Satsuma and Choshu samurai are on the move, rallying around the Emperor in Kyoto. The loyalists are gaining strength as the Bakufu weakens. The whole structure seems on the verge of collapse.”

“Ho!”
Eitaro and Seisaburo exclaimed almost in unison. Kinnosuke took a deep breath and continued. “But besides the

Bakufu’s weakness, some barbarian ships arrived near Yokohama some months ago. The barbarians demanded that the shogun open the country, allow their ships to land and barbarians to live on our shores. They say these were strange ships; they belched forth black smoke.”

“Black smoke? And not on fire?” Seisaburo asked.

Yoshitaro frowned. “How could barbarians make such demands of the shogun?”

“Who knows what will happen now?” Kinnosuke said. “But I doubt the Bakufu can survive this crisis: with their own weakness and the loyalist movement in the south, and this added blow by the barbarians. The Bakufu tried to put them off, but I’m told the ships came back with more demands. Now the shogun is forced to open some ports to the barbarians.”

“Really, Kinno!” Rie exclaimed. “What will all this mean for brewers?” she asked, rapidly tapping her fan on the table.

“It’s hard to say. The situation is changing so fast. But for one thing kabu controls have become a meaningless formality. We can buy as many as we want now from brewers who are going under.”

“Then this is the time we should buy more, isn’t that so?” Eitaro asked. He rubbed his ink stick on the inkstone, pushed it between himself and Seisaburo, and took a brush from his sleeve.

The Scent
of
Sake

245

“Yes,” Seisaburo said, “so long as we’re certain of our distribu-tion routes and markets.”

“That’s a big question, isn’t it, with this political instability?” Yoshitaro asked, looking at his mother.

Rie turned instead to Kinnosuke. “All right, Kinno-san. Watch the political situation, everyone . . . but Kinno-san and Yoshi, you can coordinate the kabu purchases for the main house with those of Sei and Eitaro. And don’t forget to watch Yamaguchi.” She fanned herself rapidly.

Eitaro and Seisaburo dipped their brushes into the prepared ink and began making notes.