Adulteration of Sake Becomes Wry Jest Tokyo, Jan. 28.
The new joke making the rounds in. Japan today. deals with the quality of Japanese sake which, it is said, is watered so much by producers, retailers and restaurants in turn, that even goldfish can safely live in the rice-wine!
The metropolitan police now are taking severe action against adulterators of sake and strict control soon will be exercised over the manufac-in 1940 should be reduced by 43 per cent; a decline in quality developed which threatens the very health of drinkers. is sake "baptised and liberally baptised," with water, but, "to prevent it from going bad," it is mixed with inferior medicinals.
The -national spiritual mobilization movement will also have its say in the sale of sake this year and the Education Ministry, in accordance with the tenets of this movement, is said to be planning a ban on the sale of the beverage to be placed by, universities and colleges.
Beer, too, comes- within the restrictions of alcoholic consumption in Japan, for although the brewing of beer for export is to be encouraged, the average Japanese beer-drinker will have to consume 20 per cent. less by Government decree.
consumption will be cut in fact by 30 per cent. and not 20 per cent, for exports to yen-bloc countries and the semi-compulsory supply, to the Army and Navy must be taken into consideration—Havas,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.