インタビュー・対談シリーズ『私の哲学』
Presented by "My Philosophy®︎"
Vol.43　Yuko Kibayashi Shin Kibayashi

The innovative combination of manga and wine was brought to life by the creators of "The Drops of God,” Yuko Kibayashi and Shin Kibayashi. Their approach to work and their mindset as communicators can be seen as a message to our internet society, where everyone can easily voice their opinions.

Japanese

Profile

Vol.43 Yuko Kibayashi

Non-fiction writer and manga creator
Born in Tokyo in 1958. In addition to working as a freelance writer, she has been writing manga scripts with her brother, Shin Kibayashi, since the early 1990s. Her major works include "The Man Who Created the 'Do It Now' Department: The Story of Matsumoto Kiyoshi (Sugu Yaruka wo Tsukutta Otoko- Matsumoto Kiyoshi Den)" (published by Shogakukan) and "People Who Get Sick, People Who Don’t, and People Who Recover (Byouki ni Naru hito, Naranai hito, Soshite Naoru hito)" (published by Shogakukan), among many others.

Vol.43 Shin Kibayashi

Novelist, scriptwriter, and manga creator Born in Tokyo in 1962. Graduated from Waseda University’s School of Political Science and Economics. After graduating, he joined Kodansha Ltd. and worked on the editorial team of “Weekly Shonen Magazine (Shukan Shonen Magajin).” He became independent in 1999. His major works include the manga script for “The Kindaichi Case Files (Kindaichi Shōnen no Jikenbo),” the novels “Dr. White” and “Bit Trader,” and the script for “Ishikawa Goemon,” among many others.

Under their shared pen name “Tadashi Agi,” the siblings created “The Drops of God” (published by Kodansha’s Morning KC), a manga praised even in France, the heartland of wine, as “a manga that presents knowledge even the French were unaware of.” In 2010, the wine magazine “La Revue du vin de France” awarded them, along with illustrator Shu Okimoto, the “Special Award of the Year” (the highest honor), making them the first Japanese recipients. Additionally, Yuko Kibayashi and Shin Kibayashi received the French Order of Agricultural Merit (Chevalier) in 2012. In May 2016, they were awarded the “2016 Asian Wine Personality” by The Drinks Business magazine and Vinexpo.

*Titles and affiliations are as of the time of the interview (June 2016). *Honorifics are omitted in the text.

Precious Wines Like Beloved Children

The catalyst for writing “The Drops of God,” and a wine that can be said to have changed the lives of Yuko Kibayashi and Shin Kibayashi, was the “DRC Echezeaux 1985,” which they encountered at a wine party held at Shin’s house. Wine is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The situation and timing when you open a bottle are very important, and at that moment, the DRC Echezeaux must have been in perfect condition. Reflecting on her encounter with the DRC Echezeaux, Yuko said, “It was simply amazing. Until then, wine was just one of many types of alcohol to me, and I wasn’t particularly invested in it. But the moment I drank that DRC Echezeaux, I felt like I was struck by lightning. Beyond that single bottle of wine, I saw culture, history, humanity, terroir, and many other elements flash before me like a short movie.”

From then on, the two were driven by the desire to explore just how many other remarkable wines existed. They began buying bottle after bottle and even expanded their wine cellar. When their family objected to placing a larger cellar in the house, they rented a room in a 50-year-old wooden apartment building exclusively for wine storage. Yuko subscribed to earthquake information for 5,000 Japanese yen a month. One day, when a major earthquake was predicted to hit the Kanto region, she wondered, “What will happen to those precious wines?” and immediately moved them. The new wine storage room was in a reinforced concrete building on the ground floor, chosen for its poor sunlight exposure. “When you have a wonderful wine, you want to call it ‘my precious kids.'”

Bringing Realistic Images to Manga

When working late into the night, they would often reach a point where they couldn’t continue without some fuel and would decide to have some wine. At such times, Yuko would playfully remark, “This wine feels kind of feminine, doesn’t it?” Interestingly, Shin would never counter that with a macho, masculine impression; their perceptions always aligned. It was at this moment they realized they could capture the world that wine encompasses. Shin then proposed, “Why don’t we turn this into a manga?”

“All the wines featured in the manga are ones we have personally tasted. If we relied solely on secondhand information or research, we wouldn’t be able to sustain this world. We reflect the real images that come to mind from actually drinking the wine into the manga,” explained Shin. Yuko added, “We want to convey the worldview and culture that wine possesses to our readers. For that, it has to be real wine, and if our readers can buy, drink, and experience the same impressions we did, that would be the happiest outcome.”

Drinking a particular bottle can assuredly make you happy, allowing you to dream various dreams and have an engaging conversation with someone for about an hour. There’s no other liquid like wine. Shin stated, “You shouldn’t talk about wine’s trivia before drinking it. The first impact is crucial.” Yuko agreed, saying, “It’s more fun to drink the wine, be surprised by its taste, and then look up what kind of wine it is. We’re not conveying data; we’re depicting images in the manga. If you have the data in your head before drinking, it’s harder for the image to come out when you taste it.” There is no discrepancy between the two in their approach to writing the original work.

Differences in Preferences by Country

The siblings’ grandfather, a gourmet, often took them to an authentic French restaurant with a French chef, a rarity at that time, even when they were still in elementary school and kindergarten. It was probably from this period that their taste buds were developed. “It is said that the flavors you experience and remember by the age of 12 form the foundation of your taste thereafter. If you become accustomed to fast food flavors by that age, it seems like the fundamental principles change,” Yuko commented. Shin added, “I believe that’s possible. I always think about providing food made from good ingredients to children.”

The Japanese palate is sensitive to delicate flavors. The preference for French wines in Japan may be because many of these wines possess subtlety and complexity. Once, an American winery approached them with a proposal to collaborate on “The Drops of God.” When the siblings suggested, “Let’s develop a wine with a subtle aroma that Japanese people will also appreciate,” they were told by the winery representative, “That would be difficult.” Their customers generally preferred wines with strong vanilla-like aromas and a full-bodied profile. “While there is a movement towards natural wines, avoiding the sweet scents from barrels, as many Americans do, there are also those who prefer wines with strong aromas and bodies. The global wine market is probably in a tug-of-war between these two trends,” said Shin. Such differences in preferences are more influenced by cultural differences in food rather than race. Wine evolves and transforms while interacting with the meals it accompanies.

With Influence Comes Responsibility

“The most important thing we are mindful of as communicators is to never say things like ‘This isn’t good’ or ‘This is bad,'” says Shin. Yuko continues, “I feel the same way. We don’t criticize. If we think something isn’t good, we simply don’t introduce it. I remember hearing an interview with the late film critic Nagaharu Yodogawa, who said, ‘Even if I come across a boring movie, I never say it’s boring. I always try to find at least one good thing about it, even if it’s the interior design, and praise that.’ That resonated with me deeply.”

“We have never spoken ill of others in the media. Nowadays, we often see people on the internet who are quick to criticize, but if you buy something you don’t like, just don’t buy it again next time and don’t talk about it. Especially when you have influence, you shouldn’t be irresponsible. It’s better to focus on praising. Even if we think something lacks value, that might just be our bias. Wine is a personal preference; what I don’t find delicious might be enjoyable for someone else. If something truly lacks value, it will naturally fade away. Is there a need to go out of our way to criticize a wine we think is bad? No, there isn’t. I hope amateurs, too, refrain from bad-mouthing and adopt an attitude of selecting and recommending good things to everyone. That approach will uplift society and the country as a whole.”

It’s beneficial to share information about delicious food, good restaurants, wines, interesting movies, and useful studies. However, it’s best to avoid those who are always saying, “This is bad, that is bad.” What is truly good? Do they even know what good things are? “Constantly spreading criticism will inevitably stagnate society. In street interviews, everyone says the economy is bad. But is that really the case? Economic conditions are largely a matter of sentiment. If everyone starts saying, ‘The economy is good,’ it will indeed improve.” Let’s hope Shin’s powerful words will reach many people.

On the day of the interview, Mr. Sugiyama brought us a bottle of wine as a gift. When we unwrapped it, we were astonished. It was the commemorative wine that had moved us nearly 20 years ago and inspired us to create “The Drops of God.” Given that it was an old vintage, finding this wine must have been extremely difficult, but Mr. Sugiyama utilized his connections and information skills to locate it for us. It’s rare to find someone who can go to such lengths to make others happy. Despite his extraordinary drive, analytical skills, and insight, Mr. Sugiyama is filled with a warmth befitting his bright smile. Mr. Sugiyama, thank you very much for this.

Yuko Kibayashi, Shin Kibayashi

My brother-in-law, a sommelier, has taken me to various restaurants since I was a university student. He taught me that there are many delicious wines available at reasonable prices and that the “story” behind a wine can add depth to each glass.
This time, I had the opportunity to interview the creators of “The Drops of God,” which pairs up the worlds of manga and real wine. I learned about Yuko Kibayashi and Shin Kibayashi’s approach to their work and discovered that their wonderful works are born out of the trust between the siblings and their staff. During the interview, we drank Château Mercian Mariko Vineyard Omnis, which Shin selected for the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, and I felt as if I were participating in the summit myself.

DK Sugiyama Editor-in-Chief of “My Philosophy”

June 2016, at Shin Kibayashi’s residence. Translated by ILI Inc.

The interview with “My Philosophy” led to the production of a special edition manga, Suntory Premium Malts × “Marriage The Drops of God Final Chapter”!

It was published in Kodansha’s “Morning” 2017 issue 16. “#ExtraPremiumBeer”