Correspondence

Kanpai!

N Engl J Med 1995; 333:463August 17, 1995

Article

To the Editor:

I wonder how many readers of the Journal can understand the photograph by Lipsky entitled “Bountiful Baskets, Kyoto, Japan” (April 20 issue).1 It shows casks of sake (a brewed alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice), each wrapped in a rush mat. They are called komokaburi in Japanese. The picture must have been taken at one of the Shinto shrines, where Japanese people sometimes bring casked sake as an offering. Several kinds of sake have brand names on the casks representing luck, fortune, or happiness.

In the past, the Journal printed a similar photograph “Tokyo,” by Kirschenbaum (Oct. 20, 1983, issue).2 It seems the Journal loves Japanese sake, so I would like to offer a toast to all its readers. Kanpai! (Cheers!)

Hiroshi Kawane, M.D.
Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki City 701-01, Japan

2 References

1. 1

   Lipsky BA. Bountiful baskets, Kyoto, Japan. N Engl J Med 1995;332:1064-1064
   

2. 2

   Kirschenbaum I. Tokyo. N Engl J Med 1983;309:953-953