No Tachikomas were injured during the brewing process. Crabs on the other hand…
Something we don’t see enough of are collaborations between alcohol brewing companies and popular anime. Seems like a natural fit since some anime are so confusing and sometimes depressing that after you are done, you need a nice stiff drink. That might be true of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which came out back in 2002 and was based on the famous Masamune Shirow manga Ghost in the Shell. Set in the near future of 2030 where most humans have become cyborgs, the series followed an elite cybernetic investigation force that tracked down cyber-crime and terrorism with the help of their trusty crab-like robots, Tachikoma.
Shiraito Shuzou is a sake brewery in Miyazu, Kyoto, an area that is famous for the local crabs. They’ve teamed up with Tetsuya Nishio, one of the character designers for the second season of Stand Alone Complex, to release a special sake called Nihonshu Kokaku Kidotai (甲殻機動隊), a play on words of the Japanese title of Ghost in the Shell, which is also Kokaku Kidotai (攻殻機動隊). So “Mobile Armored Riot Police” has turned into “Crustacean Riot Police”, incorporating both the local specialty and the famous anime.
The label shows the “first meeting” of a Miyazu crab and a Tachikoma, which was drawn by Nishio, in front of the Amanohashidate or the “Bridge to Heaven”. Found in Miyazu, this is one of the three most beautiful views (called the Nihon Sakei) in Japan.
The unprocessed sake has a pleasant smell and a unique taste depending on if it is served hot or chilled. With the number of crustacean puns going on, we think it will probably pair well with a nice shellfish dinner.
Fans of Ghost in the Shell or delicious sake can pick up a bottle for 1,300 yen (about US$13) from the Shiraito Sake homepage. Brick and mortar fans should keep their eyes on the website for an announcement about when the sake will be available in a physical store near them. Don’t let your next seafood dinner stand alone, you might give the Tachikomas a bit of a complex!
Source: Japaaan Magazine
Images: Shiraito Shuzou