Kizami tobacco

[l***@hotmail.com]

Hello, I've been lurking here for a few years and posting once every
year or so. In any case, I've come to ask ye knowledgeable pipesmen
(and women) a question about tobacco, in particular, kizami tobacco.

Let me fill you in with a bit of background information. A few months
ago I accepted a job in Japan in a city outside of Nagoya, so far I've
already found a pipe shop, though my opportunities for smoking are
fairly rare, due to the non-smoking clause of my employee housing
(ironic considering I'm in Japan), and the fact I'm hesitant about
drawing attention to myself and/or irritating others by smoking pipes
in bars and restaurants.

So In any case, in September I traveled down to Ise where I found an
old style Japanese tobacconist in the Edo-period style market town by
the Grand Shrine. He sold kiseru and kizami tobacco and offered
chances for customers to sample smoking in the traditional Japanese
style. I gave it a shot, and since then I've developed quite a
fondness for the flavor of kizami tobacco. It's quite unlike any other
tobacco varietal I've tried. Mild burning with a distinct rustic
flavor. If I could find it in any other form other than very fine shag
(imagine tobacco that's hair thin) I'd blend it with some Virginia or
Latakia and give it a whirl in my normal pipe.

So, just what is the leaf origin for kizami tobacco? I would think the
original seed tobacco was Virginia, but by looking at the etymology
for the word kiseru, it actually has a SE Asian derivation, so could
it possibly be some sort of Oriental? Could it be it's own varietal by
virtue of it's isolation?

Does anyone know? Short of taking a trip to the Museum of Tobacco and
Salt in Tokyo, I really have no way of finding out. My Japanese
reading and speaking level is pretty much elementary.

[AL]

Theres a museaum of Tobacco and Salt ???

I'd have to see this museaum just to see if the Japanese have found a
connection between tobacco and salt. Makes you wonder.

Sorry can't help with your tobacco questions. Sounds like some
interesting tobacco.

There was a tobacco back in the 70's that was a very fine cut ribbon
like you describe, pressed in a tin, that reminded me of a cigarette
smoke, maybe a Sail blend or MacBarren or maybe Amphora. My memories
of the 70s are pretty bad.

AL ...

Post by l***@hotmail.com
Hello, I've been lurking here for a few years and posting once every
year or so. In any case, I've come to ask ye knowledgeable pipesmen
(and women) a question about tobacco, in particular, kizami tobacco.
Let me fill you in with a bit of background information. A few months
ago I accepted a job in Japan in a city outside of Nagoya, so far I've
already found a pipe shop, though my opportunities for smoking are
fairly rare, due to the non-smoking clause of my employee housing
(ironic considering I'm in Japan), and the fact I'm hesitant about
drawing attention to myself and/or irritating others by smoking pipes
in bars and restaurants.
So In any case, in September I traveled down to Ise where I found an
old style Japanese tobacconist in the Edo-period style market town by
the Grand Shrine. He sold kiseru and kizami tobacco and offered
chances for customers to sample smoking in the traditional Japanese
style. I gave it a shot, and since then I've developed quite a
fondness for the flavor of kizami tobacco. It's quite unlike any other
tobacco varietal I've tried. Mild burning with a distinct rustic
flavor. If I could find it in any other form other than very fine shag
(imagine tobacco that's hair thin) I'd blend it with some Virginia or
Latakia and give it a whirl in my normal pipe.
So, just what is the leaf origin for kizami tobacco? I would think the
original seed tobacco was Virginia, but by looking at the etymology
for the word kiseru, it actually has a SE Asian derivation, so could
it possibly be some sort of Oriental? Could it be it's own varietal by
virtue of it's isolation?
Does anyone know? Short of taking a trip to the Museum of Tobacco and
Salt in Tokyo, I really have no way of finding out. My Japanese
reading and speaking level is pretty much elementary.

[l***@hotmail.com]

Post by AL
Theres a museaum of Tobacco and Salt ???
I'd have to see this museaum just to see if the Japanese have found a
connection between tobacco and salt.  Makes you wonder.
Sorry can't help with your tobacco questions.  Sounds like some
interesting tobacco.
There was a tobacco back in the 70's that was a very fine cut ribbon
like you describe, pressed in a tin, that reminded me of a cigarette
smoke, maybe a Sail blend or MacBarren or maybe Amphora.  My memories
of the 70s are pretty bad.
AL ...

The connection comes from the fact that the government tax bureau
categorized tobacco and salt under the same aegis as luxury goods.
Still, the museum sounds pretty cool, if kinda far away from me.

As for shag, yeah, I suppose that's it's kinda close to that flavor,
though it's more woodsy and delicate and less "sharp" than most shags
that I've smoked before.

[Mouse]

Post by l***@hotmail.com
Hello, I've been lurking here for a few years and posting once every
year or so. In any case, I've come to ask ye knowledgeable pipesmen
(and women) a question about tobacco, in particular, kizami tobacco.
Let me fill you in with a bit of background information. A few months
ago I accepted a job in Japan in a city outside of Nagoya, so far I've
already found a pipe shop, though my opportunities for smoking are
fairly rare, due to the non-smoking clause of my employee housing
(ironic considering I'm in Japan), and the fact I'm hesitant about
drawing attention to myself and/or irritating others by smoking pipes
in bars and restaurants.
So In any case, in September I traveled down to Ise where I found an
old style Japanese tobacconist in the Edo-period style market town by
the Grand Shrine. He sold kiseru and kizami tobacco and offered
chances for customers to sample smoking in the traditional Japanese
style. I gave it a shot, and since then I've developed quite a
fondness for the flavor of kizami tobacco. It's quite unlike any other
tobacco varietal I've tried. Mild burning with a distinct rustic
flavor. If I could find it in any other form other than very fine shag
(imagine tobacco that's hair thin) I'd blend it with some Virginia or
Latakia and give it a whirl in my normal pipe.
So, just what is the leaf origin for kizami tobacco? I would think the
original seed tobacco was Virginia, but by looking at the etymology
for the word kiseru, it actually has a SE Asian derivation, so could
it possibly be some sort of Oriental? Could it be it's own varietal by
virtue of it's isolation?
Does anyone know? Short of taking a trip to the Museum of Tobacco and
Salt in Tokyo, I really have no way of finding out. My Japanese
reading and speaking level is pretty much elementary.

Interesting. I don't know if this will help, but I found this video
about making it on youtube:

and this from the Tobacco and Salt Museum:

http://www.jti.co.jp/Culture/museum/english/tabacco/japan/index.html

[l***@hotmail.com]

Post by Mouse
Interesting. I don't know if this will help, but I found this video
http://youtu.be/qV_VBnRMBwU
http://www.jti.co.jp/Culture/museum/english/tabacco/japan/index.html

Thanks, I've seen the video before. It's kinda old. That brand went
out of business a while ago. Right now there's only one brand left,
"Koike". I think it's still around as a prestige product by JT, just
so that the traditional methods of tobacco aren't lost. Really, I'm
the only person I know in my town who smokes a kiseru. Most Japanese
under the age of 60 haven't seen one being smoked outside of a movie
before. Cigs really killed it out post-war.