Football star-turned-designer Hidetoshi Nakata on style and sake
The football icon sits down with STYLE and talks sake, style and what it means to be successful
Hidetoshi Nakata can be considered the most famous Japanese footballer of his generation. All eyes were on him when he launched his latest bottle of limited-edition sake “N” 2015 at Pacific Place last week.
Since his retirement, the footballer has been stamping his mark in the design world. Touted as a style icon, he has designed jewellery and sake among other ventures. It may seem like an extremely diverse portfolio, but for Nakata it’s simple: passion is what motivates him.
We’re very excited to try your new sake “N” 2015. Can you tell us more about this year’s sake?
Last year, summer was quite hot [in Japan] so rice became softer which meant that [the final product] became more full-bodied and sweeter. It packs a lot of power. When you drink it after 20 to 30 minutes, the taste can [be very different]. The “N” sake will be limited to 1,000 bottles and sold outside of Japan.
What food would you pair with this sake?
It goes really well with red meat. The sake packs a lot of power. I think it goes better with red meat than fish.
What inspired you to dabble in sake?
I want to promote Japanese culture and sake outside of Japan. Sake makers are less concerned about branding and marketing. I want to help raise awareness of the drink to the rest of the world. That’s why I only sell [my sake] outside of Japan.
This is a passion for me. It’s not about making money. Some people may think that my sake is too expensive, but once they taste it they will appreciate it. For me, it is about bringing sake outside of Japan. My sake is [tailored] for the high-end market, but it gives way for other brands to emerge in the middle-market. I have set up a company to help these middle-market brands promote themselves.