Miss Sake 2016 – a kendoka

Do your best and leave the rest to fate---
Miss Tanaka´s motto is: är “Do your best and leave the rest to fate…” (人事を尽くして天命を待つ ) With this motto, she won not only the 2016 Miss Sake contest in competition with finalists from all over Japan but already in elementary school she competed in kendo and won some smaller local competitions. She was also a member of a team that went to the quarter finals in Nagasaki Prefecture High School Tournament.

Although Miss Sake title involves much representation both in Japan and internationally Miss Tanaka have time to practice kendo in Tokyo at  Suganuma Kenyukai. When she is at home in Nagsaki she always  visit her old club. She is also building a good relationship with members of Japan's Kendo national team who also are important ambassadors of Japan.

An excellent ambassador of Japanese culture
Miss Sayuri Tanaka is today an excellent ambassador of Japanese culture with her deep  knowledge of two cultural expressions which both have strong traditions in the Japanese society. Miss Tanaka: ”It is said that the origin of Sake was the Yayoi period about 2000 years ago when rice farming was established.  Sake was born as an offering to the God. I can't help but feel that Sake gets some of its peculiar strength from its background as an offering to the God. I believe it's great that you can make friends with people from other countries through Sake.
-   The 'ken' ( part of the word kendo that means “sword”) carries a strong implication of cutting, hitting and striking your opponent, but the 'do' (path) part of the word is about improvement and growth of your soul. It's this part that I would like to share to the world.”

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
Miss Sayuri Tanaka was born in Nagasaki in 1987 and has two elder brothers. She has a degree as “Bachelor of Arts in English Literature” and even if her main hobby is kendo she has also participated in horse riding and golf.

At a meeting in Tokyo in May 2016 with the CEO of the Miss Sake Contest Mr. Nobuaki Aiba of Japan and  Miss Sake 2016 Sayuri Tanaka I found two ambassadors who both are passionate about their mission to ensure that the world gets to know even more about the culture drink sake. That it at the same time also gets a little marketing of Kendo is only a plus.

More information about Miss Sake at SakeTest.com: www.saketest.com

Ostra Grevie, Sweden October 2016
Leif Almo
Hon. Consul General of Japan