I liked the fact that nature was strong and I could do whatever I wanted.
By the way, why did you choose to live in Kamakura and Nagano? And why did he decide to become a distiller?
-Do you have a reason for living in two locations, Kamakura, where you were born and raised?
Segi:For a long time, I was not conscious that I had to be Japanese at all. I thought that national borders did not matter as long as people were connected to each other, but the Corona Disaster made me feel the existence of a great border wall, and I felt that my identity as a Japanese person had grown. I felt that my identity as a Japanese was something I could never change. At that time, I thought it would be easier to move around if I had two bases.
-Is there a reason why you chose Nagano?
Segi:While I often came to Nagano and visited Lake Nojiriko, where the house of a person I was helping was located, I thought this area could be a good place to live. Also, when I was home more often because of the Corona disaster, I enjoyed cutting out the hill behind my house in Kamakura and self-building. In Kamakura, I was limited in space, so in Nagano, I could do that in a much larger space. . I liked the fact that nature was strong and I could do whatever I wanted.
How did you come across this place?
Segi:First we found a house. The day I previewed the house, I was so excited that I went to see the owner's grandmother three times a day (laughs). (Laughs.) The fact that the land had good water was a deciding factor.
-At that time, you weren't thinking about distilleries yet.
Segi:No, I had started to think about a distillery in a daze. . So I had the idea of living in a place with good water. At the time, I couldn't open a store because of the Corona disaster, so I often helped out Akio Kichise of Yorocco Beer in Kamakura, who was a friend of mine. At that time, Akio advised me that distilling might be easier than brewing, and I thought I would give it a try. I had always been interested in the act of making my own sake.
-Did you do any kind of training?
Segi:I have helped out at several breweries, but basically I am self-taught. . Like carpentry, my experience of doing everything by myself from long ago may have blossomed. If I had come to this extreme environment and asked someone to do it for me, it would have cost a lot of money. But if I do it myself, I can handle it.
-Your home remodeling and furniture are also DIY.
Segi:. When I was in my 20s, I worked as a park ranger in Kamakura and learned how to handle a chainsaw. I am also a member of Cinema Caravan, which has been running the Zushi Beach Film Festival in Zushi for more than 10 years. We have built everything ourselves, including huge tents, huts, and fixtures, both in Japan and overseas.
