This is a bit of off-track from "telecom recovery" issue, but these YouTube videos are going viral in Japan now. Hana-Sake Nippon (word play for "Bloom" and "Flower and sake"), appearantely the coalition of sake-brewers in Iwate prefecture, one of the hardest-hit area in Tohoku by the quake, is putting up these PR videos, asking people to "go admire cherry blossoms to help Iwate's economy."

Early April is the season for cherry blossoms in most areas in Japan, and traditionally, people would go out and picnic under cherry trees in parks, as a great excuse for drinking lots of sake. However, due to power shortage and other logistical difficulties, as well as due to the public mood to "refrain from wild parties", sake sales in general has plummeted to the bottom.

Tohoku area sake brewers, as a consequence, is facing the threat of "economic secondary disaster". They have decided to turn to the power of viral (and doing it cheap and quick). There are 3 videos in this series as of now.

Please, people in the world, drink Sake from Tohoku area (Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima etc.) to help them overcome this difficulties! (=good excuse to drink sake under cherry trees!)

Michi