Sake Nation “Recommending sake to gals and inbound tourists: Part 3”
2026-03-04
By Kosuke Kuji
Continuing from last report.
We wanted inbound visitors and young people coming to Shibuya to drink sake. There is no inbound visitor in the world who doesn’t know Shibuya, so the strategy of getting inbound visitors and young people to drink sake using “Shibuya” and “Gals” as keywords was developed entirely from the perspective of the “gals” themselves, the true stakeholders. Gals brew sake with their own hands, get involved in growing the rice for it, and deeply respect Japan’s traditional culture surrounding sake. By doing so, they create a single gals sake brand and transmit it to the world through visual storytelling. With this concept finalized, the gals came to a sake brewery in Iwate to take part in the filming of the all-important visuals, the rice harvest, and the sake brewing process.
They step into the rice paddies, learn how to harvest rice from a local farmer grandfather, and harvest the rice dressed as gals. Then, in the fields where the harvest has just finished, they dance “Para Para,” a dance synonymous with gals culture. A scene that would have been unthinkable by conventional standards spreads across Iwate.
After the harvest, they eat freshly harvested rice salt rice balls made by the farmer grandmothers, along with senbei-jiru, a traditional dish of Ninohe City. Watching the gals run up to the grandmothers and excitedly say, “It’s delicious—this is the best,” even the farmers of Iwate, who at first wondered, “What on earth has arrived here?”, gradually open up. In the end, people of all ages come together, become friends, and take photos flashing the gals peace sign.
It was a moment when we truly felt the power of gals. The pure “heart” of gals transcends generations, language, and regional boundaries. It was also the moment we felt certain that the sake made by gals would undoubtedly resonate with both young people in Japan and people from overseas.
We wanted inbound visitors and young people coming to Shibuya to drink sake. There is no inbound visitor in the world who doesn’t know Shibuya, so the strategy of getting inbound visitors and young people to drink sake using “Shibuya” and “Gals” as keywords was developed entirely from the perspective of the “gals” themselves, the true stakeholders. Gals brew sake with their own hands, get involved in growing the rice for it, and deeply respect Japan’s traditional culture surrounding sake. By doing so, they create a single gals sake brand and transmit it to the world through visual storytelling. With this concept finalized, the gals came to a sake brewery in Iwate to take part in the filming of the all-important visuals, the rice harvest, and the sake brewing process.
They step into the rice paddies, learn how to harvest rice from a local farmer grandfather, and harvest the rice dressed as gals. Then, in the fields where the harvest has just finished, they dance “Para Para,” a dance synonymous with gals culture. A scene that would have been unthinkable by conventional standards spreads across Iwate.
After the harvest, they eat freshly harvested rice salt rice balls made by the farmer grandmothers, along with senbei-jiru, a traditional dish of Ninohe City. Watching the gals run up to the grandmothers and excitedly say, “It’s delicious—this is the best,” even the farmers of Iwate, who at first wondered, “What on earth has arrived here?”, gradually open up. In the end, people of all ages come together, become friends, and take photos flashing the gals peace sign.
It was a moment when we truly felt the power of gals. The pure “heart” of gals transcends generations, language, and regional boundaries. It was also the moment we felt certain that the sake made by gals would undoubtedly resonate with both young people in Japan and people from overseas.
After that, they took part in the brewing process at the brewery, danced the customary Para Para once again, and their days in Iwate came to an end.
(To be continued in the next report)
(To be continued in the next report)
酒豪大陸「ギャルとインバウンドに日本酒 その3」
前回からの続きです。
渋谷に来るインバウンドと若者に日本酒を飲ませたい。世界で渋谷を知らないインバウンドはいないのだから、渋谷とギャルをキーワードにインバウンドと若者に日本酒を飲ませる作戦は、「当事者」である「ギャル」の発想で全て進めていきました。
ギャルが自ら日本酒造りをし、そのための米作りも関り、さらに日本酒にまつわる日本の伝統文化もリスペクトして、1つのギャル酒ブランドを創り出し、映像を通して世界へ発信していく。
この形に決まり、大事な大事な映像の撮影や稲刈り、酒の仕込みなどをしに、ギャルの皆さんが岩手の蔵に来てくれました。
田んぼに入り、農家のおじいさんに稲刈りを教えてもらい、ギャルの格好で稲刈りをし、稲刈りの終わった田んぼでギャルの代名詞でもある「パラパラ」を踊る。今までの考えではありえない絵が岩手に広がります。稲刈り終わった後に農家のおばあちゃん達が作ってくれた新米の塩むすびと二戸市の伝統料理である「せんべい汁」を食べて、農家のおばあちゃんに駆け寄り「おいしい、超最高」と話している姿を見て、最初は岩手の農家の皆さんも「何が来たんだ」と思っていたところですが、最後は老若男女みんな仲良しになり、ギャルピースで写真撮影。ギャルのパワーを感じた瞬間でした。ギャルの純粋な「心」は世代や言葉や地域の壁を越えて伝わる。ギャルが造る日本酒も間違いなく日本人の若者にも外国人にも伝わる、と感じた瞬間でした。その後、蔵での仕込み作業と、恒例のパラパラも踊り、岩手での日々が終わりました。（次回に続く）
渋谷に来るインバウンドと若者に日本酒を飲ませたい。世界で渋谷を知らないインバウンドはいないのだから、渋谷とギャルをキーワードにインバウンドと若者に日本酒を飲ませる作戦は、「当事者」である「ギャル」の発想で全て進めていきました。
ギャルが自ら日本酒造りをし、そのための米作りも関り、さらに日本酒にまつわる日本の伝統文化もリスペクトして、1つのギャル酒ブランドを創り出し、映像を通して世界へ発信していく。
この形に決まり、大事な大事な映像の撮影や稲刈り、酒の仕込みなどをしに、ギャルの皆さんが岩手の蔵に来てくれました。
田んぼに入り、農家のおじいさんに稲刈りを教えてもらい、ギャルの格好で稲刈りをし、稲刈りの終わった田んぼでギャルの代名詞でもある「パラパラ」を踊る。今までの考えではありえない絵が岩手に広がります。稲刈り終わった後に農家のおばあちゃん達が作ってくれた新米の塩むすびと二戸市の伝統料理である「せんべい汁」を食べて、農家のおばあちゃんに駆け寄り「おいしい、超最高」と話している姿を見て、最初は岩手の農家の皆さんも「何が来たんだ」と思っていたところですが、最後は老若男女みんな仲良しになり、ギャルピースで写真撮影。ギャルのパワーを感じた瞬間でした。ギャルの純粋な「心」は世代や言葉や地域の壁を越えて伝わる。ギャルが造る日本酒も間違いなく日本人の若者にも外国人にも伝わる、と感じた瞬間でした。その後、蔵での仕込み作業と、恒例のパラパラも踊り、岩手での日々が終わりました。（次回に続く）
