【HOPJAPAN】 Sunset Dinner and Starry Sky Night Tour at the HOPJAPAN Brewery

This edition’s keyword: hop!

　

The theme of this edition of FoodCamp was undeniably ‘hop.’ And when you say ‘hop’, you say ‘beer.’

The main ingredient for beer is malt, which forms the basis for alcohol, but what gives beer its refreshing bitterness and aroma is hop. Also helping to suppress the formation of bacteria, it is an indispensable ingredient for beer.

Surprisingly, Fukushima Prefecture actually has areas where these hops are cultivated. Our first stop was in the middle of the Abukuma Highlands, in the Waseya-district (part of Ogoe Town in Tamura City), where Yoshiharu Suzuki grows hops at the Waseya Hop Farm.

The slowly swaying hop vines, growing to around 10 meters long, are neatly lined up in rows.

For most of the participants, this was their first encounter with hops. Cameras came out right after arrival at the hop field.

Suzuki-san had just picked some hops to hand out to the participants, before telling the participants all they wanted to know. At Suzuki-san’s instructions, the participants peeled off the hops’ cones, revealing the substance called Lupulin, the source of hops’ aroma. The guests took in the smell, and pictures too!

　

Finally, the moment everyone was waiting for: getting into the field, and picking hops for themselves! But what’s going to happen to these self-picked hops? That question would be answered at the dinner venue.

To Green Park Miyakoji!

Next up was our final destination for the day: Green Park Miyakoji, home to brewery HOP JAPAN. For owner Honma-san, his work at HOP JAPAN is an extension of his experience in the United States. Rich, fulfilling lives with craft beer. That kind of ‘slow life’ is something he wanted for himself too. When he found a group of local people with the same ideals, and the fresh hops grown in this Abukuma region, HOP JAPAN’s characteristic craft beer was born.

Brewmaster Takeishi-san was in charge of our tour, which offered all the ins and outs of the beer brewing process. There was even the opportunity to get a taste of the malts actually used for the brewing, as well as wort, the liquid extracted from the malt. Tasting the malts, some of the participants commented what a great snack to go with beer this would be! Just imagining how this sweet malt was going to turn into beer was a fun experience.

At the tap room, Honma-san explained HOP JAPAN’s concept and the seven different flavors currently on offer. By using local hops, HOP JAPAN covers all aspects of the brewing and commercialization in the local area, connecting people, goods, and ideas. By providing employment and economic activity, HOP JAPAN aims to create a vibrant, circular local community.

A FoodCamp fit for a camping ground

The dining area was set up at Green Park Miyakoji’s campsite. On the premises, besides the brewery and a lodge, you are really in the middle of nature.  All you can hear is the sound of the birds chirping, and the wind through the trees. This whole area was at FoodCamp’s disposal. This gave the participants even more of a sense of freedom than usual, and let them enjoy this edition of FoodCamp in their own way.

　

A toast by Honma-san after the ‘oi-hop’

The bar was set up square in the middle of the dining area, proudly showing off the day’s beer taps. Of course, what other drink could serve for the toast than beer? But with a twist: ‘Oi-hop’ (hop-chaser), meaning to add a fresh hop to a beer, right before the toast. After Honma-san’s toast, the guests could finally enjoy their long-awaited chug of beer, with the fresh aroma and bitterness added by the hop. Surely, this was a moment to remember.

HOP JAPAN’s staff, Takeishi-san and Hashimoto-san, were on tap duty. A beer tapped by beer professionals does not disappoint! “Which beer should I get next? What’s the best order to drink these in?” The bar-area really turned into a pub.

What’s more, FoodCamp even got to debut a new HOP JAPAN flavor: ‘Ichigo-Kaoru Ale,’ a special strawberry ale. For the real beer lovers, there was a ‘4-drink beer-tasting set,’ to really get a feel for what HOP JAPAN has to offer.

Craft Beer Meets Ethnic Cuisine

As the sun was going down, the western sky turned a soft violet, making way for dinner. But that was not the only sight to behold. The buffet, using a fine palette of spices and colors, was quite spectacular. Chef Serizawa of our own company restaurant BestTable conjured up 18 different dishes, perfectly matching HOP JAPAN’s beer.

Onion-mousse, corn quiche, shrimp and sasagekko (Koriyama brand vegetable green beans) fishcakes, roast beef with salsa sauce, khao man gai (thai-style rice cooked with chicken), soft shell crab fritters, etc.

Finally, with deserts like BestTable’s specialty French toast, annin tofu with blueberry sauce, there was so much to choose from that many participants said “I wanted to try everything, but it was just too much!” Clearly, Chef Serizawa went all out with his philosophy of wanting everyone to eat their fill and then some!

As the sun went down, the mood went up.

 

Milky-Way Tour

But the main dish of the night was still to come: the stars. The clouds were nice enough to move out of the way, and let the participants show what a full Miyakoji-sky has to offer.

After taking a short walk from the dining area, up to a small hill overlooking the campsite, they found chairs and camp beds set up, for them to enjoy a tour of the Milky Way. Cries of delight and wonder were heard as people sat down in their seats. Perhaps, they had never seen as many stars as here, spread out over the clear sky.

Adding even more shine to the night was Ono-san, deputy head of the Hoshi-no-mura Observatory in Tamura City. Despite being outdoors, Ono-san’s voice made it sound like a planetarium, leaving a deep impression on the participants. Even more impressive was his ability to answer any question put before him.

There was also an unseen surprise, even for the FoodCamp staff: the US’ satellite system Starlink was launched, and could be seen traveling the sky. Even Ono-san had never seen this before, making this shared experience extra special and moving. Using his laser pointer, Ono-san pointed out various stars and constellations. There were also binoculars and even professional-grade telescopes to take a good look at the planets.

Although it was a pretty hot day, the beer and dinner tasted all the better, and with a lingering feeling of romance after seeing the starry splendor, the participants got back on the bus for the trip home.

Thanks to all the participants for joining us on this late-night tour.