Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
World’s youngest sake sommelier is 10 years old. Akane Niikura tastes sake and is certified to do so. Before you get angry, it’s not really a tasting or drinking issue. It’s more of a marketing issue. According majiroxmews, “There are six levels of rankings under the system devised by the Sake Study Institute (SSI). The test is entirely written. At 8 years of age, Akane passed the fifth level and became a celebrity. Television crews moved in, magazines and newspapers featured articles about her throughout Japan.” Yes, it sounds wrong either way, and perhaps the testing should begin at 20 – the legal drinking age in Japan.
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