Japan’s Youngest Sake Expert: 10-Year-Old Akane Niikura

Al Jazeera English reports on a 10-year-old girl who is officially certified as an expert sake connoisseur :

Akane Niikura passed the Sake Service Institute of Japan’s test after earning her expertise on the ancient Japanese tradition solely through her sense of smell rather than palate.

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17 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - July 17, 2011 at 8:02 pm

Categories: Japanese Food Tags:

Retedad

hope to visit sado island someday.
http://sixmats.blogspot.com Sixmats

I didn’t know it was legal for 10-year-olds to drink alcohol.

keking

Akane Niikura passed the Sake Service Institute of Japan’s test after
earning her expertise on the ancient Japanese tradition solely through
her sense of smell rather than palate.

Genkisan

She appeared on a bunch of variety shows this week, and I really think that her sake knowledge played second fiddle to her cooking skills – just watching her tiny hands use a kitchen knife was really impressive.
Guy

“sake connoisseur”

That sounds like a great job.
http://thehopefulmonster.wordpress.com/ Sublight

I had who was studying for certification as a sake expert a while back. According to him, it’s less about being able to identify which sake is which, and more about being able to accurately describe all the different nuances that vary from type to type.
Ap

What ?The mother wants people to drink more alcohol ?

That’s extremely fucked up. And I like to drink alcohol too.

Anonymous

Smelling isn’t the same as drinking.

Ap

How about you actually watch the video first ?

Kushieda

If you watched the video, you’d realise that their intention is not to just drink alcohol for drinking alcohol’s sake but to bring the attention toward Japan’s traditional alcohol sake again among younger people. As these days spirits, beer and wine are more prevalent among the younger generation.

http://www.facebook.com/rallegretti Rob Allegretti

If she’s drinking it, she’s breaking the law. If she’s not drinking it, she doesn’t truly know what’s up with Sake.

This ‘expert’ title is – at best – a novelty until she can actually drink. What’s the age in Japan? 18? 20?
Zechs Merquise

Japan just won the women’s world cup. the Japanese goalie was HUGE
valpi731

NIPPON WON!!!!!!!!!!!
Artemis

Be nice if the reporters actually pronounced ‘sake’ (also the girl’s name) correctly – but cool to watch all the same.
Anonymous

I think the main problem here is the “Domino Effect”.

You know a few casual sniffs here and there and suddenly you’re a serious sniffer.

And sniffing leads to sipping, and sipping leads to drinking, and drinking leads to guzzling and before you know it joints are being rolled, bongs packed, lines laid, popping, mainlining and then an unwashd dirty death in a Roppongi Hills hovel.

The first sniff is the deepest.
craig

how strange
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_O33MKBDEH3L4SA6KLHPK5GE2EQ Kyoko

A girl after my own heart! hic.

Japan’s Youngest Sake Expert: 10-Year-Old Akane Niikura

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