Begin Japanology (2008) : 5x11

This month, we present a special talk-show series called Japanophiles, featuring lively interviews with foreigners living in Japan. Sake is an alcoholic drink brewed from rice and water. It is quintessentially Japanese, but with its rich flavor, refined over centuries, it has recently achieved worldwide popularity. Brewers create sake's characteristic flavor using traditional techniques that date back to the 1600s. The master brewer is the boss of a brewery, and Philip Harper is the only foreign master sake brewer in all of Japan. Harper was born in 1966 in England. At the age of 22, while teaching English in Japan, he drank a glass of sake that changed his life. He has now been involved in sake brewing for over two decades. Harper's prize-winning sake is known for its fruity bouquets and for how it captures the sweetness of rice. Harper uses every ounce of his skill to make the sake he sees in his mind's eye a reality. His quest is to produce the ultimate Japanese sake.