CONTRIBUTORS
EMILIE SARNEL, FRANCE
ART DIRECTOR & FOUNDER OF PLEASECONFIRM LTD
EMILIESARNEL.COM
Professionally trained in graphic design, Emilie graduated from French design school “Ecole Nationale
Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs”, in Paris. After graduation, Emilie went to Shanghai to provide
art direction for the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, that later relocated Emilie to Tokyo in
2009. After two years based in Hong Kong from 2011, Emilie set up her own studio, Pleaseconfirm
Ltd. in May 2013. Emilie has created the cover artwork for this issue of Museum of Sake Journal.
MASARU WATANABE, LONDON / TOKYO
CONSULTANT, NOMURA SECURITIES
Masaru is a consultant at Tokyo-based firm, Nomura Securities. He was given the opportunity
by the company to pursue any line of interest for a year. With a passion for sake, Masaru came to
London in 2014 and has been working with Natsuki on the Museum of Sake Journal to further
promote sake in the UK through education and information.
OLIVER HILTON-JOHNSON, LONDON
SAKE SPECIALIST AND DIRECTOR
WWW.TENGUSAKE.COM
Oliver is a director of the award-winning Tengu Sake, an import, wholesale and retail company
dealing solely in quality Japanese sake. Tengu Sake supplies some of the UK’s finest restaurants as
well as delivering directly to the public via tengusake.com. Oliver is Sake Educator for the British
Sake Association and leads talks, tastings and food pairings throughout the UK.
RIE YOSHITAKE, LONDON
SAKE SAMURAI ASSOCIATION UK REPRESENTATIVE
WWW.YOSHITAKEASSOCIATES.COM
WWW.SAKESAMURAI.CO.UK
In pursuit of a personal ambition to create a bridge between Japan and the UK, Rie has been engaged
in various aspects of cross-cultural and business activities since her arrival in 1986. In 2006 she became
the UK representative of the Sake Samurai and the IWC Sake Ambassador. She also represents
the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association in the UK and has been successfully spreading the
word about sake and raising the profile of Japan’s national drink internationally. Her achievements
in promoting sake have included prestigious sake events at the UK Houses of Parliament, Oxford
and Cambridge Universities and the Embassy of Japan, as well as the celebrated sake videos for
the Guardian Media. In 2014 Rie received the Japanese Ministers award for her contribution for
promoting Japanese food culture overseas.
MUSEUM OF SAKE JOURNAL 4