"Sake Aged Under the Sea in Kushiro City"

"Sake Aged Under the Sea in Kushiro City"

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Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News."
　
Join us as we learn Japanese and about the country through Japanese news stories.
Today's headline is…
　
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釧路（くしろ）の日本酒（にほんしゅ）　海（うみ）の中（なか）に入（い）れておいしくする
　
"Sake Aged Under the Sea in Kushiro City"
This news story was published on NEWS WEB EASY's website on June 21st.
　
Now let's go over some vocab words that will help us understand what's going on.
　
日本酒（にほんしゅ）
sake
　
沖（おき）
off the coast or offshore
　
紫外線（しがいせん）
ultraviolet rays
　
Let's keep these words in mind as we listen.
　
「釧路市（くしろし）の団体（だんたい）は、新型（しんがた）コロナウイルスの問題（もんだい）で売（う）り上（あ）げが落（お）ちた産業（さんぎょう）を元気（げんき）にしようと考（かんが）えて、おととしから新（あたら）しい日本酒（にほんしゅ）の商品（しょうひん）を作（つく）り始（はじ）めました。
釧路市（くしろし）の沖（おき）の深（ふか）さ14mの海（うみ）に、日本酒（にほんしゅ）300本（ぽん）ぐらいを入（い）れて約（やく）8か月（げつ）置（お）きました。そして6月（がつ）18日（にち）、この日本酒（にほんしゅ）を海（うみ）から上（あ）げました。
団体（だんたい）によると、海（うみ）の底（そこ）は水（みず）の温度（おんど）が低（ひく）くて太陽（たいよう）の紫外線（しがいせん）も届（とど）きません。そして波（なみ）と一緒（いっしょ）にお酒（さけ）が少（すこ）しずつ揺（ゆ）れることで、味（あじ）が柔（やわ）らかくおいしくなるということです。
海（うみ）から上（あ）げた日本酒（にほんしゅ）は、今年（ことし）8月（がつ）ごろから釧路市（くしろし）の店（みせ）などで売（う）る予定（よてい）です。」
　
A group in the city of Kushiro in Hokkaido Prefecture has begun aging bottles of sake in the sea. It hopes to create a regional product that will help revitalize local industry, which took a hit during the pandemic.
Kushiro is located on the Pacific coast of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.
　
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Now we'll break down a few sentences from the story that contain helpful expressions and keywords.
Let's start with the following sentence:
　
釧路市（くしろし）の団体（だんたい）は、新型（しんがた）コロナウイルスの問題（もんだい）で売（う）り上（あ）げが落（お）ちた産業（さんぎょう）を元気（げんき）にしようと考（かんが）えて、おととしから新（あたら）しい日本酒（にほんしゅ）の商品（しょうひん）を作（つく）り始（はじ）めました。
　
"A group in the city of Kushiro started producing a new sake two years ago in the hopes of revitalizing local industry, whose sales have fallen due to the coronavirus pandemic."
　
日本酒（にほんしゅ）or sake is an alcoholic beverage brewed from fermented rice that typically has an alcohol content of 15 or 16%.
Now, we should note that in Japanese, the term sake refers to alcohol drinks in general.
酒（さけ）を飲（の）む is a general expression that means "drink alcohol." That could be nihonshu, shochu spirits, beer, wine, vodka, whisky, and so on. Whatever your drink of choice, if it has alcohol in it, we say 酒（さけ）を飲（の）む.
　
Indeed. OK, let's move on to the following sentences.
　
団体（だんたい）によると、海（うみ）の底（そこ）は水（みず）の温度（おんど）が低（ひく）くて太陽（たいよう）の紫外線（しがいせん）も届（とど）きません。そして波（なみ）と一緒（いっしょ）にお酒（さけ）が少（すこ）しずつ揺（ゆ）れることで、味（あじ）が柔（やわ）らかくおいしくなるということです。
　
"According to the group, temperatures are low at the ocean floor, and the sun's ultraviolet rays cannot reach the bottom. And as the sake is gently shaken by the tides, the taste becomes milder and more pleasant."
　
The expression によると means "according to." It's a way to identify an information source.
In today's story the expression is 団体（だんたい）によると, that is, "according to the group." It's saying that whatever information follows comes from the group in Kushiro that's aging its sake underwater.
　
The expression ということです is used to say that something is hearsay, that is, information that you heard from someone or read somewhere.
　
For example, let's say a friend tells you that your mutual acquaintance Yamada-san recently moved. You could relay that information to someone else by saying 山田（やまだ）さんが引（ひ）っ越（こ）したということです, that is, "I hear that Yamada-san moved."
　
And that's all for today.
　
I have to say, the sake that's aged underwater has got me very intrigued.
　
I bet the sake pairs fantastically with foods from Kushiro.
　
All right, be sure to tune in next time for more!
　
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