The discussion of economic impact through sake production in Hot Springs has been discussed for years because of the natural connection with Hot Springs water and Arkansas being the number one rice producer in the United States and one farm even growing the variety of rice that is used to brew high quality sake.
In 2012 this idea of the potential of Hot Springs having a sake brewery really took hold when a business delegation visited Hanamaki. In 2014, leaders in our sister city assisted in making connections for an internship to move this concept of a sake brewery forward and Ben Bell spent almost two years at Nanbu Bijin increasing his knowledge about sake production. Now, after almost 10 years the dream of a sake brewery in Hot Springs is coming to fruition. Matt Bell, a name many may know from his leadership at the Arkansas sustainable energy company Integrity Energy, began plans in 2021 to build a sake brewery in Hot Springs. He purchased the property, began renovations, brought Ben Bell on board as well as other sake brewers and professionals, and the brewery is nearing completion. The brewery is named Origami Sake and will begin brewing test batches this summer. Visit their website at www.origamisake.co for more information about this exciting addition to Hot Springs.
Another bit of exciting economic news for the Hot Springs area includes the relocation of AITOH Specialty Paper Company to our area. Beth Wild, whose career has been in art supply and distribution, purchased the company that imports origami and other specialty papers and products from Japan in 2020 and sells to retailers. She has purchased a warehouse just outside of Hot Springs and has relocated AITOH to Hot Springs. Be watching for more information about AITOH in the coming weeks.
The Hot Springs Sister City Program has not been able to host or send in-person exchanges with our sister city, Hanamaki, but do have a visitor from Japan. Runa Takahashi, a recent graduate of Arkansas State University is from Kanagawa, Japan and is spending the month of June as an intern in the Sister City office. One of her primary responsibilities has been setting up a database. She compiled all of the organization’s contacts into a database so that Sister City news and events can be better communicated with those who have participated in exchanges, hosted, or been involved as volunteers. So, if you are receiving this Sister City newsletter for the first time, it is thanks to the efforts of Runa. Runa will return to Japan in July, but the impact of her work will be felt long after her departure. Thank you Runa!!
Arkansas Cherry Blossom
A huge thank you to everyone who attended, and especially those who contributed to the success of the event with their time, sponsorship, and in many cases both. The event which was held April 3 drew 1,000 people who were able to experience live taiko drum performances, Japanese traditional dance, and kendo performances. Workshops allowed participants to learn more about Japanese gardening, zazen meditation, bento Japanese lunch boxes, and sake. Students from University of Central Arkansas and Arkansas Tech University had hands-on spaces where attendees could try their hand at origami or calligraphy. Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students manned the Japanese Festival games and students from Hot Springs School District did face painting. There were displays of beautiful kimonos thanks to the generosity of our friends in Hanamaki who shipped several incredible pieces to contribute to our festival. A new addition this year was a traditional display for the Japanese holiday “Girls’ Day”, thanks to Yukiko Taylor and her daughter.Dozens of others spent countless hours preparing for and working at this annual celebration of Japanese culture.
Another highlight of the event was the announcement by Matt Bell and Ben Bell about the opening of Origami Sake. Origami Sake had an exhibit set up alongside Isbell Farms, the rice farm that has grown the rice needed for sake production here in Arkansas for decades. Representatives from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and elected officials were on hand for this exciting news.
If you missed the event, you can see photos and footage from the opening ceremony and some of the performances at www.cherryblossom.org.
