目次 / Contents
1) 明治蔵まで / To Meijigura
2) 見学 / Tour
A. 展示ホール / Exhibition Hall
B.芋蒸場 / Potato Steaming Place
C. 仕込み / Production
D. 瓶詰め / Bottled
1) 明治蔵まで / To Meijigura
観光が目的の旅ではなく、枕崎市文化資料センター南溟館
（鹿児島県枕崎市山手町175番地)
で開催している『第3回枕崎国際芸術賞展』へ行くためでした。
枕崎観光についてほとんどリサーチをしていなかったので、展覧会後、枕崎駅前の観光案内所に行きました。
展覧会については下記。
明治蔵については下記。
薩摩酒造は、焼酎の会社で、明治蔵では、焼酎の製造工程を一般公開しています。
このセクションでは、製造工程見学の写真を載せます。
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見学コース / Tour Route  |
To Meijigura
My sister Y and I went to Makurazaki City, Kagoshima Prefecture.
The purpose of the trip was not for sightseeing, but to go to 'The 3rd Makurazaki International Art Award Exhibition' held in Nanmei Museum of Art (175 Yamate-cho, Makurazaki City, Kagoshima Prefecture).
After the exhibition, we went to the tourist information centre in front of Makurazaki Station because I hadn't done much research on Makurazaki tourism.
About the Exhibition, below.
Their recommendation was Satsumashuzo Brewery's Meijigura : ★ only in Japanese.
About the Meijigura, below.
Satsuma Shuzo Brewery is a Shōchū company, and at Meijigura, the shōchū production process is open to the public.
According to Wiki about Shōchū,
"Shōchū (Japanese: 焼酎) is a Japanese distilled beverage.
It is typically distilled from rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or brown sugar, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as chestnut, sesame seeds, potatoes, or even carrots.
This section contains photographs of the manufacturing process tour.
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| 明治蔵のパンフレットより From Meijigura Leaflet in Japanese |
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| 明治蔵の英語版パンフレットより From Meijigura Leaflet in English |
2) 見学 / Tour
A. 展示ホール / Exhibition Hall
荷物は、入り口で預けることができ、出口 (売店) で、受け取ります。
スタッフの方から、概略の説明を一度うけ、その後は、各自、順路に従ってコースを巡ります。
時間によっては、実演も見ることができます。
私達は、'芋粉砕'と'一次仕込み'の段階を見ることができました。
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| 明治蔵のパンフレットより From Meijigura Leaflet in Japanese |
Exhibition Hall
We can leave baggage at the entrance and pick it up at the exit (shop).
After receiving an overview explanation from the staff, we follow the route on your own.
Depending on the time, we can also watch a demonstration.
We were able to see the stages of 'Potato Crushing' and 'Primary Preparation'.
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| 明治蔵の英語版パンフレットより From Meijigura Leaflet in English |
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| This shows their factories. |
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スクリーンは、絵による'焼酎のできるまで'の説明で、 展示は、もちろん、自社製品の焼酎です。 The screen explains 'how shochu is made' by pictures, and the display is, of course, the company's own shōchū. |
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| 本格焼酎伝播経路 蒸留酒はメソポタミア発祥...知りませんでした。 Routes Showing Spread of Shōchū, in Japanese Distilled liquor originated in Mesopotamia...I didn't know. .jpeg) |
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| コルニッシュボイラー (石炭ボイラー) 展示の中でもっとも目を引くのがこのボイラーです。 蒸気機関車の部品なのかと思ってしまいます。 Cornish Boiler (Coal Boiler) This 'Cornish Boiler' is the most eye-catching in the exhibition. I thought it was part of a steam locomotive.  Cornish Boiler (Furnace Boiler) "This cornish boiler was a prize-winning work at the Tokyo Taisho Exposition in 1914 and was produced in Fukuoka Prefecture. At that time, the price was 1,820 yen (1 to 2 times the price of a general house), and it was evaluated as too high quality among contractors. After many years of use at the Tsunuki factory, around 1949, this moved to Satsuma Shuzo Brewery. This boiler was used until 1963, because the fuel changed from coal to heavy oil in 1964." (Outline translation by me)  According to Wiki about Cornish Boiler, "It has a furnace tube (cylindrical combustion chamber) inside the water can. A boiler with one tube is called a Cornish boiler, and one with two tubes is called a Lancashire boiler. It has a simple structure and is easy to clean, so it was popular in the old days. In order to gain heat transfer area and efficiency, it has large-scale brickwork underneath."  |
下記、Wikiより、炉筒ボイラーについて
"水缶内に炉筒（円筒形の燃焼室）を設けたもの。
炉筒が一本の物をコルニッシュボイラーといい、二本の物をランカシャーボイラーという。
構造が簡単で掃除し易く古くは普及したが、その効率の悪さから今は新造を見ない。伝熱面積と効率を稼ぐ為に、大掛かりな煉瓦組みを持つ。"
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| 芋洗の桶 / Potato Washing Buckets |
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| ❸ : 種麹展示 ❸: Tane Koji (Malted Rice) Display |
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| 粕取り器 / Lees Remover |
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| ここを進みます。 Proceed here. |
B.芋蒸場 / Potato Steaming Place
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| 芋蒸場 / Potato Steaming Place |
芋蒸場を見学していたら、研修生のような若い人々が、先生(マスター)？に導かれてやってきました。
鹿児島大学の焼酎の学部があるそうで、彼らは実習生でした。
ずっと見ていたら、スタッフの方が、蒸した芋をくださり、嬉しい驚きがありました。
ありがとうございました。
When we were observing the potato steaming place, young people who looked like trainees came, guided by the teacher (master?).
Kagoshima University has a shochu department (course?), and they were trainees.
As I kept watching, I was pleasantly surprised when the staff gave me some steamed sweet potatoes.
Thank you very much.
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| You could see a film about potato steaming place by this QR code. |
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| 蒸された芋が粉砕されています。 The steamed potato is crushed. |
C. 仕込み / Production
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| 仕込み場 パンフレットの❼ Production Area ❼ Shikomi - Game in the leaflet above. |
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| 粉砕された芋が運ばれてきます。 Crushed potatoes are brought |
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| 2階から / From First Floor |
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| ❽ : 木桶蒸留器 ❽ : Kioke Jyoryu-Ki ; Wooden pot still |
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| ❾ : 甕壺貯蔵所 ❾ : Kametubo Chozojyo ; Shōchū Maturation area by earthen pots  神棚があります(右上)。 There is a Shinto altar (upper right). |
D. 瓶詰め / Bottled
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| 瓶詰め / Bottled |
次のセクションも見学ツアーについてです。
The next section is also about the tour.