However, the Samurai Blue's final group game against Brazil in 2006 would be the final match of Nakata's career. After retiring, he found a passion for sake, the Japanese alcoholic drink made from ...

Sake, an alcoholic drink likened to wine and made of fermented rice, went on to become Nakata's new field of expertise, to a point where he even earned a "Master of Sake" qualification.

At this time, in 2009, Nakata became fascinated by sake, a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice. “When I was living in Italy, in my spare time, I used to visit wineries in the count ...

Sake. Japanese food. It sounds pretty obvious but not if you’re Naoto Mizuno, president of the much-lauded Kokuryu brand of ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Akiko Katayama covers Japanese food and culture.

This also applies to consuming sake — and with good reason. A fermented rice drink that dates back thousands of years, it used to be enjoyed only by elite members of society and offered at shrines.

Her affinity towards the country also piqued her interest in its drinks. “I think sake is a beautiful beverage, and is revered in Japanese culture. They have shrines for sake in Japan.

Gore Verbinski’s The Ring, a remake of Hideo Nakata’s classic analog shocker Ring (Ringu), inaugurated an entire decade of Asian horror flair in the United States. J-horror took off ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Akiko Katayama covers Japanese food and culture.