A cedar ball for new sake, Kyoto

Kyoto is also famous for purity water and with the water is delicious Japanese Sake, alcohol, made there.

This ball is made of cedar and hang in front of Sake breweries through February to March to let people know the new arrival of Sake.

Japanese Sake is mainly made of rice, rice malt and water. Sake is started to make in the beginning of the cold season every year and is finished and ready in Feb. or Mar..

The ball means, "New sake is in ready."

By the way, why is cedar used to make the ball?

Because a tall and big cedar is regarded as a place for a god of sake in Miwa shrine, famous for the god of Sake, just like Bacchus. The Japanese Bacchus seems to like cedar.

By the way, Daiginjo(大吟醸) is a kind of Japanese sake and said to be the most tasteful one. This is rather mellow and delicious though this is very fresh and less one year old.

We enjoy Japanese Sake both in cold and in hot, but about this Sake, I prefer enjoying cold to hot one.

This alcohol is, I'd think, "l'eau de vie" in Japan.