The Entry Point to the Way of Sake
　Every place has an entrance.
　In the realm of Zen Buddhism, it signifies the door to entering a new state of mind, a gateway to profundity.
　Sake too has its own perfumed entrance.
　Open this door, in a relaxed and tranquil frame of mind, in order to savour good sake and to indulge in the pleasant sensation it provides.

Images of Sake
　On what occasions do we drink sake, meaning of course,
　Nihon-shu, or Japanese rice wine? 　There are times when sake can act as a salve to dispel sadness, times when it brings together a meal, times when it is a sleeping potion that relieves tiredness.
　There are times when sake is served with the food prepared by a beloved spouse, times when it is shared with friends at a bar, times when sake is an accompaniment to flirting with the lady behind the counter of a small eating establishment, and
times when it might be enjoyed in the company of a famous geisha in a chic drawing room.
　When women get together, sake can help them talk of their youthful days, indulge in female joys and sorrows, or even berate men - a scene reminiscent of the ancient literary work Genji　Monogatari (Tale of the Genji), in which there is a scene about people drinking sake on a rainy night and discussing the merits of various members of the opposite sex.
　Sake is an inseparable companion in which ever of these instances you might prefer. However, a companionship with sake ends badly if one only drinks sake to get drunk.

Know your Drink, Know Yourself
　Every country and group of people has produced its own drink, but I have never come across a drink with such depths of flavour as sake. It is a grand cultural legacy produced by our ancestors, a wonderful drink at the apex of Japanese cuisine, one which has been constantly passed on and imbibed to the present day.
　The great advances in brewing technology, besides, mean we are free to enjoy fragrant, good-tasting sake of a quality much higher than what was available in the past.
　Incidentally, can you declare with pride that you enjoy sake?
Is there a sense of disdain, perhaps, when it remarked that a person likes this drink? 　There are various “paths” or “ways” in Japan for refining a person, be it through skill at tea ceremony, flower arrangement, traditional archery, or distinguishing different kinds of incense. Shudo or the “Way of Sake” appeared at the end of the Ashikaga Shogunate (ca. 14 C. - mid. 16 C.), but for it alone, for some reason, quickly disappeared - perhaps on account of sake being an intoxicating drink.
　In past, commoners did not have free access to sake. It was regarded as a drink that ruined people, because it was only consumed in the festive drinking that followed a festival. On such occasions people would get themselves intoxicated.
　But we are now free to enjoy sake of the very highest quality whenever we wish, sake akin to works of art. Sake enables us to learn about numerous masters and individuals worthy of reverence and enables our dreams to take flight. It is the entry point to the Way of Sake. Follow this pleasant path each month. It will purify the soul. There are elegant sakes to be enjoyed.