Twentythree

Moth poo and cherry blossom leaves are the secret ingredients in Secret Spring. 

We’ve seen a lot of weird tipples in our time, but a new release from Haccoba Craft Sake Brewery in Fukushima Prefecture beats them all with one very unique ingredient: insect poop.

This special sake is actually made by fermenting rice with Chuhicha, a tea developed by a researcher at Kyoto University Graduate School. This tea, written in Japanese as “虫秘茶“, which contains the kanji for “insect” (“虫”), “secret” (“秘” ) and “tea” (“茶”), contains the feces of moth larvae that have eaten plant leaves.

This interplay between insects and plants creates teas with varied flavours, aromas, and colours depending on the plant-insect combination. The tea in this sake draws upon the combination of “Oshima cherry blossoms and Luna moth” (Oshima is a sakura species native to Japan’s Izu Islands and coastal areas), which is said to impart the aroma of cherry blossoms.

▼ The team at Haccoba.

The sake is called Secret Spring, and as the secret ingredient is essentially a digested and fermented plant ingredient, the team at Haccoba are encouraging people to think of it as something similar to black tea. In fact, many people who’ve tasted it praise its flavour and taste, saying “it tastes refreshing” and “it smells sweet”.

For this batch, the scent of cherry blossoms is said to spread through the palate from the very first sip – a surprising result for moth poo. Haccoba says the delicious flavor of rice intertwines with the sakura in a complex way, creating an indescribable taste you won’t find in other sakes.

There are two varieties to choose from – regular and barrel-aged, with the former being a more tea-forward offering, sold through the official online store, and the latter displaying more complex, whisky-like notes, sold through select partner retailers (see links below). Each 500-millilitre (16.9-ounce) bottle is priced at 3,300 yen (US$20.66), and if you’re looking for something to pair them with, may we suggest this feast of insects.

Related: Haccoba, Retail locations
Source, images: Press release
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Put your best foot forward with the help of some beloved movie characters. 

If you’re a Ghibli fan who believes in function and fashion, then this new release from the studio’s Donguri Kyowakoku retail chain will be right up your alley. Consisting of not one, not two, but a whopping 18 designs, this bumper sock collection will keep your feet warm and protected while adding a dash of anime charm to your outfits, ensuring you feel comfortable and fashionable while stepping out in them.

The collection starts with two “Pattern Socks“, priced at 1,980 yen (US$12.40) each and available in two sizes, 23-25 centimetres (9-9.8 inches), commonly suited to women, and 25-27 centimetres, commonly suited to men.

▼ The first pattern, called Howl’s Moving Castle Room, takes us into the titular character’s bedroom, with its treasure trove of trinkets.

▼ The second pair shines a light on Baron from Whisper of the Heart.

Baron has been beautifully embroidered into these cable pattern socks, in a “brick red” hue.

▼ Next up is a range of “Sneaker” socks, priced at 550 yen per pair and available in one size only – 23-25 centimetres.

▼ Each sock has a gorgeous embroidered character on the heel pull.

▼ Totoro appears on the bright orange My Neighbour Totoro design.

▼ Jiji represents Kiki’s Delivery Service…

▼ … No Face casts a silent spell over this Spirited Away design…

▼ … Baby Boh, in mouse form, adds charm to another Spirited Away pair…

▼ … and Calcifer adorns this pair for Howl’s Moving Castle.

▼ Now we move on to a series of Sagara Embroidary Socks, also in size 23-25 centimetres only, and priced at 880 yen per pair.

▼ There are four to collect in this series, each featuring a character from a different Ghibli film.

▼ The Small Totoro from My Neighbour Totoro.

▼ Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service.

▼ Ootori from Spirited Away.

▼ And Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle.

▼ Now we have the “Float Embroidery” socks, in size 23-25 centimetres, and priced at 880 yen per pair.

▼ These socks come with distinctive, puffy motifs on the design.

▼ My Neighbour Totoro

▼ Whisper of the Heart

▼ Spirited Away

▼ Howl’s Moving Castle

▼ Finally, we have three “Amerib” Crew Length socks, in the 23-25 centimetre size, priced at 550 yen per pair.

▼ “Amerib” is an amalgamation of “ribbed” and “American”, referring to the American casual style championed by Ghibli’s GBL brand.

▼ My Neighbour Totoro “Catbus”

▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service “Jiji”

▼ Howl’s Moving Castle “Window”

With so many designs and characters in the collection, choosing which ones to take home with you will be a very tough call. They’re only available at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online in limited numbers, though, so you’ll want to act fast to avoid missing out.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!