Japanese men rush to become fruit and vegetable 'sommeliers'

Gone are the days when women were the most health-conscious consumer group because the fascination with vegetables and fruit is now catching the eye of Japanese men increasingly keen to learn more about these rich sources of nutrients.

The domestic media have coined the term "vegetable and fruit sommelier" for a person with expertise in such products. These people help general consumers understand the intricacies of selection, storage, preparation and nutritional value.

Until recently, the experts were mainly women, but the recent emergence of popular comedian Atsushi Tamura as a vegetable sommelier has highlighted the growing popularity of this new accreditation among men.



Tamura, who spoke about his passion for vegetables on a TV show in late November, is just one of several thousand "vegetable and fruit meisters" who have graduated from a program the Japan Vegetable & Fruit Meister Association's special accreditation program in the past five years.

The Tokyo-based association, which claims that it is the only body in the world to issue an accreditation for vegetable and fruit experts, runs a three-stage program consisting of a basic curriculum on appreciating the benefits of learning about vegetables, and more advanced studies and training for those looking for business opportunities to share their knowledge.

Rika Kayama, psychiatrist and pundit, said the emergence of male vegetable sommeliers may be "linked to a trend that no longer compartmentalizes the roles of men and women in Japan as more and more men are becoming actively involved in what have been women's jobs, such as food-related ones." Kayama said some men, tired of the toils of corporate life, could see learning about vegetables as having a healing or soothing effect, while others may look at it as a new business opportunity free from the stress and competition of the corporate environment.