Hello, こんにちは、
I am from Germany

and please call me Robert.
I arrived in the middle of November and was welcomed very warmly and especially by the family`s small dog Chibita

.
I am trying to help with the family`s businesses as much as I can either in the sake storehouse or the beverage shop or simply at home

.
To see and learn about the sake brewing process is especially exciting

.
The other day when the first new sake (Shibori Tate

) of this winter 2008/2009 was finally pressed out (shiboru in Japanese) from the mash even the local cable TV of Iga city I.C.T. appeared to bring this event to its audience

.
ポチッと応援お願いいたします(^^)
This is the mash pressing machine called Yabuta. Oddly it sounds a little bit like this creature from Star Wars, Jabba the Hutt.
After pressing the sake runs through this small tasting tank ...
... into the big tank. Shibori Tate sake is done.
Mr. Ueda

, the brewing master is being interviewed

.