Kobe Shinbun NEXT reports that kimono instructor Beni Isoyama is using a multipurpose space decorated with sake-making equipment and licensed to sell sake in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, as a wedding venue.
Family and friends can enjoy a kagami-biraki barrel-breaking ceremony, newlyweds can take the three-three-nine sips of sake that form part of a traditional wedding, and lots commemorative photos surrounded by sake barrels at the Hakutaka Rokusuien, run by the Hakutaka brewery.
Isoyama points out that sake was originally considered sacred, and so is well suited to formal occasions. She regularly dresses brides for weddings and is fond of the interior décor at Rokusuien, which is done in the image of an old brewer’s home. She points out that it’s also highly photogenic.
She was already friends with the “producer” of Rokusuien, Sumiko Tastuuma, who when asked to allow the space to be used for weddings replied that she’d be delighted if it helped the younger generation come to appreciate sake.
The hall is licensed for civil marriage ceremonies, and can hold up to 40 people. Catering is provided by the on-site restaurant, Tokyo Chikuyotei Nishinomiya. There are sake barrels, sake serving vessels and other items on display, plus a tea room.
Links
- Original article (Japanese, Kobe Shinbun NEXT, 6 December 2018)
- Hakutaka Rokusuien (English)