Sai Sai Jaran Jaran is a featured series here on MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON from the members of the all-female band SILEN SIREN (aka Sai Sai) who visit various hot spots in Japan and experience different things, the Sai Sai way.   Band bassist Ainyan enjoys a beer or cocktail, but she wants to step into the world of wine, so we will join her on her journey today as she goes to learn all about wine from the very basics. It's a clear sky today. Great weather for going for a drink during the day, am I right? We visited Fukagawa Winery Tokyo in Monzennakacho, an area located in Shitamachi, Tokyo. We were looking forward to going there because it offers the full wine experience, allowing visitors to see wine brewing up close to learn all about it. This experience is offered twice a day on weekends and national holidays at 14:00 and 16:00.   Fukagawa Winery Tokyo opened in Tokyo in 2016 as a winery where the ordinary person could go and see wine being made to fully understand its process. It has expanded its circulation in recent years and is now able to take in grapes from across Japan, including Tokyo, to craft many different wines. On the day we visited we saw the staff bottling up the wine. On average, the winery ships out around 30,000 bottles a year. The corks have illustrations of "Wine Man" on them, a character created by Fukagawa Winery Tokyo. Ainyan was fairly fond of him! Time to see how the winery works!   When you step inside, the scent of grapes is the first thing to hit your senses. The one in charge of Fukagawa Winery Tokyo is Kousuke Ueno, who was kind of enough to show us around. He taught us the process of wine making, as well as what types of grapes and tools they use. "This machine separates the grapes and stalks using the propellers. This method has been used for 150 years," explained Ueno.   There are periods when visitors can observe this machine being used to separate the grapes. It takes place between mid-August to November, so follow Fukagawa Winery Tokyo's social media for announcements and details. "Wow! It smells so good!" said Ainyan. We got to see a bucket where Cabernet Sauvignon was being made. They put in whole grapes with the skin on and add natural yeast for the fermentation process. The sweet smell of the grapes fills the air and makes you want to have a glass. Now for what Ainyan has been waiting for: taste-testing time! She learned everything about the wine making process, so it was time to taste and compare some different wines. The winery allows taste-testing until 17:00. You can try 3 types for ¥700. And of course, if there's one you tried that you really liked, you can buy it there and then. So sip, scrutinise, and select! "Please try this one first. It is wine, but it's like a lemon sour," explained Ueno, recommending that Ainyan first try the Yamanashi  Delaware Sparkling. Soak up all the notes of the drink by having a good smell first before taking a small sip. "Smells really good. This sourness really is like a lemon sour! I wonder why?" said Ainyan.   This wine uses premature grapes which gives the wine a sour taste. The sourness of this wine can play the part of lemons, so it's best paired with fried foods or meals with chicken in them. The second drink was the Yamagata Delaware Muroka. It's an unfiltered wine made from completely ripened Yamagata Delaware grapes.   Unfiltered means that the filtration process to take out visible solids and such is not used. This gives it a slightly cloudy appearance and an exquisite taste that's somewhere between wine and juice.

Left: Unfiltered Yamagata Delaware / Right: Filtered Yamagata Delaware

For the third glass, Ainyan ordered the filtered Yamagata Delaware to test the difference between it and the unfiltered version. "The filtered one has a good balance of flavours and is refreshing. The unfiltered one has a smooth juiciness to it. They're both delicious, but I like the unfiltered one more!" said Ainyan. Her fourth glass was an unfiltered red wine: the East Bay Assemblage Red B. The grapes used are a combination from Hokkaido, Nagano, and Aomori. It really is an assemblage! "The red wine has such a different taste and colour depending on the type too! This dark red wine is close to what I usually drink!" said Ainyan with a happy smile. At the end of the session, Ainyan had tried 10 wines and bought two bottles! She was delighted with her experience, saying: "I was surprised how different each and every one of the wines I tried at Fukagawa Winery Tokyo were. I think I'm getting hooked on the appeal of unfiltered, natural wines."   With Christmas and New Year around the corner, now is the season to indulge in wine. If you're in Tokyo this December, pay a visit to Fukagawa Winery Tokyo for a full wine experience.     Writer：Yuki YokooPhotographer：Kayo Sekiguchi  

Sai Sai Jaran Jaran is a featured series here on MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON from the members of the all-female band SILEN SIREN (aka Sai Sai) who visit various hot spots in Japan and experience different things, the Sai Sai way.   Band keyboardist Yukarun has always wanted to try having afternoon tea. To make her dream come true, she took a visit to THE GRAND LOUNGE in Ginza. THE GRAND LOUNGE is a multipurpose lounge for adults located on the 13th floor of THE GRAND GINZA in GINZA SIX. Normally in restaurants afternoon tea is often reserved just for the afternoon but at THE GRAND LOUNGE you can enjoy it any time.

*The afternoon tea set shown above is for 2 people.

The afternoon tea set here costs ¥4,200 (before tax and service charge). It comes with 7 hors d'oeuvres, 7 sweets, strawberry mille-feuille, and a teapot with free black tea refills. Strawberries are the running theme until June, so the desserts and hors d'oeuvres are made using plenty of Japanese "tochiotome" strawberries. It's a big tea set so can be enjoyed by couples or big eaters. Yukarun is very pleased with the afternoon tea set so much so that she must take a photo beforehand! There are so many strawberries sweets. "I feel happy just looking at this assortment♡" she says. The drinks in the set are made by San Francisco-based high tea brand Mighty Leaf. There are 11 types to choose from―9 hot and 2 iced―all of which Mighty Leaf have ensured are organic with only the best herbs chosen. You choose your favourite by smelling the fragrant aromas of each bottle. The one most popular with Yukarun was the "White Orchard." White tea and green tea are used as the base in this drink which are blended with melon and peach fragrance. The fact you get free refills makes it a favourable service. Time to tuck in! The tasty line-up will have you wondering where to even begin eating from. It's not just the sweets that are piled with strawberries but the light appetisers too. These appetisers include foie gras, salmon and more―all extravagant delectables. "Delicious!" says a satisfied Yukarun as she takes her first bite from the bottom row appetisers. The variety of sweets is diverse, from jelly to tarts, mousse and beyond. "The sweets come in cute mini sizes! And they're all super delicious!" comments Yukarun. "The tea I chose is really tasty too! I don't think I've ever had tea this good before!" Then it was time for the crowning jewel of the afternoon tea set: the strawberry mille-feuille. It is a recreation of the legendary mille-feuille sold at Maxim's de Paris, a much-loved French restaurant in Ginza that closed in 2015. This sandwich-like dessert takes crunchy pie and stuffs fat strawberries and custard cream between them. It's a popular dessert ordered by itself too. The version of it that comes with the afternoon tea is half-sized. "So good! This is true happiness♡" says Yukarun who is clearly enjoying herself. The mille-feuille can also be ordered for takeout. How was your first ever afternoon tea experience, Yukarun?   "It felt elegant and sophisticated being in a place like this. There are lots of bite-sized appetisers and sweets so it's fun to try them one by one. It's fun thinking about where to eat from too, and I was really glad you get to choose your own tea. I definitely want to come here again in my own time! I want to dress up and come with my girlfriends." The items that come with the afternoon teas at THE GRAND LOUNGE change with each season, and right now it's all about strawberries. Head to THE GRAND LOUNGE yourself and treat yourself and others to a luxurious afternoon tea―at any time of the day.   Model: Yukako Kurosaka（SILENT SIREN）Photographer: Haruka YamamotoWriter: Sayoko IshiiTranslator: Joshua Kitosi-Isanga