Yasuko Kuramoto, popular for her boisterous drinking style on the TV show "Onna Sakaba Hourouki" (BS-TBS), is known for her drinking prowess. Sometimes she's drinking heavily in Tateishi, the "drinking capital" of downtown Tokyo, and other times she's drinking heavily at Hogeisen, a long-established bar in Asakusa frequented by Beat Takeshi...but in reality, she's a model and a fashionista with her own brand.So, the purpose of this project is to have her talk about the classic Father's Day items: alcohol and polo shirts.For the first installment, we'll be talking about beer, which is like water to Ms. Kuramoto (lol).We'll be featuring more of it than usual (lol).

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Yasuko Kuramoto
Model and interior model. She is active mainly in fashion magazines and has many fans for her lifestyle work. She is also a self-proclaimed and widely recognized lover of alcohol.
Her published works include "My Evolving Style at 40" (Takarajima-sha) and "Fashion Starts in Your Closet! 85 Rules" (Gentosha).

--Kuramoto-san is the ultimate drinker, always showing off his ability to down a large mug in an instant (laughs). "Beer first" is a must for him, right?
Kuramoto (happily): That's right!

—That scene (the way they drank on location) was really real, wasn't it?
Kuramoto: Of course. We always shoot two episodes of "Women's Bar Hopping Diary" at once, so I often don't remember the second bar we went to (laughs).

──Do you drink beer at home too?
Kuramoto : Yes. Mostly domestic canned beer. I have bought Chimay before, thinking it would look good in the refrigerator (?).

—So, it's about putting aside reputation for substance. That's something only someone with a generous spirit like Mr. Kuramoto could do.
I often choose beer as a gift for someone , and when I do, I buy craft beers based on their packaging. I pick out a few interesting-looking bottled beers at the supermarket.

—It's hard to get into new brands. That's a great idea to increase the number of craft beer fans. Let's go with a label-based purchase today too.
Kuramoto: First up, this is it. "Thank you always, beer." It's spot on.


(From here, Assistant Buyer Kuratomo, in charge of Japanese sake, will be in charge of hospitality.)

Kuratomo : That's a series from Kohan no Mori Beer, and it's a popular message beer for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Kohan no Mori Beer is a relatively new brewery, founded in 1998, but it's a highly regarded company that has won awards at the National Alcoholic Beverage Competition 24 times in a row. It's a craft beer manufacturer located on the shores of Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture.
Kuramoto: This is cute. It's an owl. It's a lucky charm, so I'd like to try drinking it.
Kuratomo: That beer you're having is called "Nipponia" from Hitachino Nest Beer, and it's apparently inspired by an owl that lived in a tree in the brewery's garden. The name "Nest" comes from the owl's nest and the local place name, Konosu. It's a beer from Kiuchi Brewery in Ibaraki, which was founded in 1823, and it was created in 1996. Now it's sold in 50 countries around the world. It's the best-selling Japanese craft beer in the world.

Next up: Fluffy owls and cats!