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https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Food-Beverage/Underwater-aging-adds-deep-taste-to-Japanese-sake?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20230126120000&seq_num=24&si=44594 Underwater aging adds deep taste to Japanese sake Drinkers gulp up sake matured in the ocean in search of luxury, uniqueness Shiraki Brewery's underwater-aged Daruma Masamune is kept submerged long enough for shellfish to attach themselves to the bottles. (Photo courtesy of Shiraki Brewery) HAYATO SAWA, Nikkei staff writerJanuary 22, 2023 14:30 JST TOKYO -- Sake aged underwater is drawing the attention of drinkers, with fans saying the waves and stable temperatures of the ocean environment give the brews a unique flavor compared with those aged aboveground. Despite a steady decline in Japan's overall sake consumption, those made with unique aging methods sell well. Sake matured beneath the waves, for one, is a popular gift that offers a sense of luxury and rarity. Last month, Forbul, a Tokyo-based sake maker, began selling a product aged for about two years called Takanome: Underwater Aging. The brewer submerges its bottled Takanome premium sake 15 meters underwater off the coast of Minami Izu, in Shizuoka prefecture southwest of Tokyo for six months. It then ages it in a warehouse at -5 C for another 18 months. It is said that sake matures more quickly and tastes milder than conventional brews. Among the various theories for why this is so, the most plausible is that certain vibration frequencies occur due to the wave action, affecting the chemical composition of the sake. There is also less variation in temperature when sake is aged underwater versus aboveground. The submarine environment also provides "natural storage," and an ideal place for the maturation process, as seawater temperatures are lower in winter and the currents stronger than in other seasons. Forbul sells only 300 bottles of underwater-aged sake, which have five different flavor profiles. The company says even brews that are aged on the same seabed or for the same amount of time taste different, depending on the waves at the time. A 720 ml bottle ranges in price from 33,000 to 60,000 yen ($257 to $468), including tax and shipping. All five sakes are touted as complementing various foods. Unkai ("Sea of Clouds"), for example, has pineapple hints, with a refreshing acidity and sweetness. It goes well with salty white fish dishes, according to the company. Forbul sinks its Takanome premium sake 15 meters beneath the waves off the coast of Minami Izu, in Shizuoka prefecture, maturing the brew underwater for six months. (Photo courtesy of Forbul) The two products introduced in December have already sold out and the remaining three will go on sale later this month. A 180 ml bottle of Takanome, the same sake minus the undersea aging, will be sold as a package with the aged brew, allowing customers to compare. Takanome, which Forbul introduced in 2019, is known as a rare brew and typically sells out within five minutes after it goes up for sale every Wednesday on the company's website. Seiya Hirano, Forbul's representative director, said the company is a pioneer when it comes to aging, adding that it plans to do research on aging in barrels and other methods. Japan's sake market has been shrinking due the country's declining population and shifting tastes. About 400,000 kiloliters of sake were shipped in 2021 in Japan, less than a fourth of the peak figure in 1973. As it is becoming harder to sell sake in large volumes, breweries across Japan are competing to add value to their products with unique aging methods, such as Forbul's underwater maturation. Shiraki Brewery in the central Japanese city of Gifu, also goes for submarine maturation and has been making such brews since 2013. The brewery ages its bottled Masamune sake 15 to 20 meters underwater in Minami Izu from November until June. Daruma Masamune, the underwater-aged version of the brew, which features bottles naturally encrusted with seashells, goes on sale around July every year. A 720 ml bottle is priced at 8,250 yen. Daruma Masamune is popular with men in their 30s and 40s, with many customers buying it for its unique flavor and the look of the bottle. "Underwater-aged Daruma Masamune sells out every year and many customers continue to buy it," CEO Shigeri Shiraki said, adding that there are also inquiries from Taiwan and elsewhere. "Breweries are making efforts to age sake utilizing the characteristics of each region, such as underwater and in snow rooms," said Yasuyuki Kishi, a professor at Niigata University who specializes in the craft. Such unique twists on the ancient art may be the key to stirring an industry caught in the doldrums.

Tsunami waves caused by a giant underwater volcanic eruption have hit the Pacific country of Tonga. Social media footage showed water washing through a church and several homes, and witnesses said ash was falling over the capital, Nuku'alofa. A tsunami warning sent residents scrambling to higher ground. The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano sent shockwaves across the South Pacific. Tonga's capital lies just 65km north of the volcano. One Tongan resident, Mere Taufa, said the eruption hit as her family was preparing for dinner, and her younger brother thought bombs were exploding nearby. "My first instinct was to take cover under the table, I grabbed my little sister, and screamed at my parents and others in the house to do the same," New Zealand news site Stuff.co.nz quoted her as saying. Ms Taufa said the next thing she knew, water was rushing into their home. "You could just hear screams everywhere, people screaming for safety, for everyone to get to higher ground," she added. The plumes of gas, smoke and ash pouring from the volcano reached 20km into the sky, Tonga Geological Services said. The eight-minute eruption was so violent it could be heard as "loud thunder sounds" in Fiji, more than 800km (500 miles) away, according to officials in the capital Suva. The Fijian Government has issued a tsunami advisory and opened evacuation centres for people in low-lying coastal areas. In New Zealand, which is more than 2,300km away, officials have warned of storm surges. The National Emergency Management Agency said coastal areas on the north and east coast of the North Island could see "strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore". Local forecaster Weather Watch tweeted: "The energy release is simply astonishing", adding: "Reports of people hearing the sonic booms across New Zealand." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-60007119

Thinking of bringing my baby girl to see fishes there tmr but got a few questions. 1. Where to park nearest? Is there a central car park for all attractions? 2. Would it be crowded since its CNY and most ppl away for holidays? Thanks

US man drowns while proposing underwater to girlfriend at Tanzanian luxury resort https://www.asiaone.com/world/us-man-drowns-while-proposing-underwater-girlfriend-tanzanian-luxury-resort NAIROBI, Kenya - An American man has drowned while proposing to his girlfriend underwater at an idyllic island off the coast of Tanzania, a luxury resort said in a statement Sunday (Sept 22). His girlfriend Kenesha Antoine posted on her Facebook page footage of Steven Weber proposing to her through the window of their underwater hotel room at the luxury Manta Resort in Zanzibar. "You never emerged from those depths so you never got to hear my answer, 'Yes! Yes! A million times, yes, I will marry you!!'," she wrote Friday in a post confirming his death. Her video shows Weber swimming up to the window, and pressing a handwritten note against it which read: "I can't hold my breath long enough to tell you everything I love about you, but everything I love about you I love more every day. Will you please be my wife, marry me." He then pulled out a ring as Antoine squealed with joy while filming. It is unclear what went wrong during the proposal at Pemba Island, a popular honeymoon destination. "We never got to embrace and celebrate the beginning of the rest of our lives together, as the best day of our lives turned into the worst, in the cruelest twist of fate imaginable," Antoine wrote. "Knowing him, always quick with an off-color joke, he's probably entertaining someone with a story about how he royally screwed up that proposal and died while being extra." Manta CEO Matthew Saus confirmed to AFP in an email Sunday that "a male guest tragically drowned while freediving alone outside the underwater room" on Thursday. "The accident is currently under investigation by the local Zanzibar police authority." The couple were staying in the resort's famed "Underwater Room", a US$1,700 (S$2,340) a-night floating structure offshore in crystal clear waters, where the bed is surrounded by glass windows looking into the ocean.

Is it open air or underground or what? Where to park nearest to Underwater World? Pls don't say underwater

Hmmmmm............. in the year 2100, Singapore will have underwater-sub MRT ... Yahoo : Climate change could force 745,000 Singaporeans underwater Rising sea levels could have disastrous effects on coastal cities around the world, including Singapore, according to results published by Climate Central. The report detailed the implications of different global warming scenarios of 1.5, 2, 3 and 4 degrees Celsius by 2100, and found that carbon emissions causing 4C of warming a business-as-usual scenario could cause Singapores median local sea level to rise 9.5 metres, submerging the homes of 745,000 Singaporeans. This number is based on the 2010 population figure of 4.68 million. Even if carbon emissions were cut, resulting in the proposed international target of 2C warming, there would still be 101,000 Singaporeans affected, with the median local sea level projected to rise 5.1 metres. China, the worlds leading carbon emitter, leads the world in coastal risk, with 145 million people threatened by rising seas if emission levels are not reduced. Global megacities with the top-10 largest threatened populations include Shanghai, Hong Kong, Calcutta, Mumbai, Dhaka, Jakarta, and Hanoi. more stories, link : https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/climate-change-could-force-745-000-singaporeans-underwater-053221746--sector.html Map showing which areas in Singapore at at risk from global warming (in light blue)

Gents, I would like to share with you this series of videos and photos about the Singapore's Naval Diving Unit Combat Diver Course where trainees learn to become combat divers. It details the entire process very thoroughly and might be of interest to those of you who are divers yourselves: http://www.straitstimes.com/naval-divers for the videos and some personal accounts http://www.straitstimes.com/through-.../story/get-wet for the photographs. Enjoy!

As above, any bros know where to get it from? I have tried aquarium shops in Tampines area, but none of them selling it.

Don't know to laugh or what?

anybody where to buy good cheap underwater mp3 players ? online ? stores? any links..thnks in advance

KHUN SAMUT CHIN, Thailand — At Bangkok's watery gates, Buddhist monks cling to a shrinking spit of land around their temple as they wage war against the relentlessly rising sea. During the monsoons at high tide, waves hurdle the breakwater of concrete pillars and the inner rock wall around the temple on a promontory in the Gulf of Thailand. Jutting above the water line just ahead are remnants of a village that has already slipped beneath the sea. Experts say these waters, aided by sinking land, threaten to submerge Thailand's sprawling capital of more than 10 million people within this century. Bangkok is one of 13 of the world's largest 20 cities at risk of being swamped as sea levels rise in coming decades, according to warnings at the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meeting held here. "This is what the future will look like in many places around the world," says Lisa Schipper, an American researcher on global warming, while visiting the temple. "Here is a living study in environmental change." The loss of Bangkok would destroy the country's economic engine and a major hub for regional tourism. "If the heart of Thailand is under water everything will stop," says Smith Dharmasaroja, chair of the government's Committee of National Disaster Warning Administration. "We don't have time to move our capital in the next 15-20 years. We have to protect our heart now, and it's almost too late." The arithmetic gives Bangkok little cause for optimism. The still expanding megapolis rests about 3