| Summary: | Niida-Honke is a family-owned sake brewery in Kooriyama, Fukushima. As they were in the process of finishing a brand new series of organic sake that was to commemorate the 300-year anniversary of their brewery, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident took place. This came as a direct result of the devastating tsunami, caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The power plant released radioactive material, that fell on many surrounding areas. The chief brewer, Yasuhiko, said that following this disaster he worried that the brewery was finished for good. But then he considered how his father, his ancestors, and all the workers must also have worked so hard to keep their passion alive for so many years. So he never gave up - even though he and the brewery met with continual waves of misfortune, including a production site fire and the death of several key people, including his father, who passed away before the 2011 disaster. He felt he couldn't just give up everything. Fortunately, through scientific testing, he found out their products had not been contaminated by the radiation, so he decided to persevere. Not only has he continued making sake, but also he has been supporting the community and building a bright future for their village and for their own children.
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