Sake, the national drink of Japan which for years has been in steep decline, has become the very spirit of the country's recovery from the devastation of last March's tsunami.
Twelve months ago, the earthquake and resulting deluge hit Tohoku, one of the main sake-producing regions, destroying no fewer than 250 sake breweries and sweeping to their deaths a number of workers. To an industry already in long-term decline, the disaster could have been terminal.
But the Japanese people have instead rallied round the national drink as it was seen as a symbol of recovery from a cataclysm which killed more than 20,000 people. Over the past year, for the first time since the 1970s, the annual sales decline of 3 to 5 per cent has halted. Sake is undergoing a renaissance. (Independent)
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