The local merchants' association of Akishima, Tokyo, has created two "Haijima Highballs" using local groundwater, to help revitalize the area. The city is the only municipality in Tokyo that uses deep groundwater exclusively as its water source.
The association, comprising shops and restaurants in front of the south exit of JR and Seibu Haijima Station, hopes visitors will also try various dishes that complement the new highballs.
People in Akishima can drink the local groundwater from a tap. The water, having soaked through the ground for about 30 years, is infused with carbonic acid and minerals. Impurities are filtered out.
The Haijima ekimae shotenkai association, which had been considering ways to bolster the local economy, zeroed in on using the groundwater and on "K's Bar," a bar whose owner is a member of the association. They began toying with the idea of the highball from around February last year.
Kiyoshi Osuga, who is 50 and the bar's owner, used liqueurs from Ishikawa Brewery Co. as the base alcohol because the brewery is located in Fussa, Tokyo, near the north exit of the station.
The white highball has a refreshing Japanese sake flavor, and the scent of cedar spreads to complement the taste of the food. A black highball brings out the sweetness of the wort experienced in darker beers and has a rich flavor like wine.
"Both of them have their own personality, so please try and compare them," Osuga said.
The association also decided to serve the highballs as a new feature in the area. They installed new taps, which convert groundwater into carbonated water, at the stores of members with subsidies from the metropolitan and municipal governments. The new highballs were supposed to be available in May, but the novel coronavirus pandemic pushed back the release date to Sept. 7.
Visitors can enjoy the new highballs at 16 bars or izakaya pubs run by association members. Each has prepared a menu called "Hai-Kara" (or spicy in Haijima) comprising spicy dishes such as chorizo and mapo tofu that go well with the highballs. Visitors can also participate in a stamp rally wherein they can win coupons for items sold by association members after visiting three bars.
"While many restaurants are exhausted due to the pandemic, I want our new highball to become the institution and specialty of our area," said Tsuneo Okabe, 67, the president of the association.
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