I have not been releasing any entries of this diary since the end of June and I'm sorry for that. I believe some of you were worried I got sick, but actually, there was a fatal accident at our sake brewery.
It was a shocking event for us, especially as we have always been aiming for Asahi Shuzo to be “the safest sake brewery in Japan”. The accident itself was reported on our website and on the news, so I won't explain it in detail here, but it was an accident with a lot of ifs and buts.
To be honest, I was preoccupied with the cause of the accident and taking safety measures to prevent it from happening ever again. Furthermore, as the owner of this sake brewery, I am in a position to be held responsible for this accident. I did not want to sound like I might be justifying myself in some sort, which would be disrespectful for the victim of the accident. That is why I have been hesitating to release out this diary. Already a notice from the Labor Bureau arrived at us: they will not file a case against us for this accident. It is actually quite rare for a disaster of this scale from which no case is to be filed. In that sense, it means that our safety countermeasures have been recognized as meaningful, but in the end, it does not change the reality of the accident. He will never come back to us.
I can still remember clearly his face when I would meet him in the elevator at our brewery: He’d always timidly say hello to me. I wish I could go back to the beginning of July. Above all, he was an excellent and dedicated staff member. When we announced our plan for "Craft Dassai", a sake brewed by just two young staff members, he was the first to raise his hand and take on the challenge, and I was amazed at how well the sake turned out.
I told Nishida, the production manager, "Compared to the sake you and I were crafting back when we first tried ourselves at sake making, this is a much higher level of sake.”
The sake our young staff is able to make by themselves is amazing.
In fact, through this accident, there are things that I have thought about, and some of my opinions, that have changed a lot. Furthermore, it has given me a new perspective on things: I hope I can tell you more about it in a little while.
Anyway, I would like to apologize for my absence and explain what happened. Lastly, no matter how many measures we take or the efforts we make, as long as we live, there is always the possibility of an unforeseen accident. In the end, the only person who can prevent accidents is yourself.
I sincerely hope and pray for everyone to take care of themselves.