Hidetoshi Nakata retired at the age of 29 in 2006. He now owns Japan Craft Sake, a company that produces high-quality sake. Nakata is also the founder of the premium tea brand Hanaahu.
In addition to his business career, the 48-year-old former football player has also ventured into the fashion industry. Nakata has modeled for many famous brands. With his attractive appearance, this former football player is loved by football fans around the world.
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Nakata attended Paris Fashion Week a few weeks ago. |
In a recent interview, Nakata shared his journey from soccer player to successful sake entrepreneur. During his eight years playing and living in Italy, he spent time exploring wineries.
“In my free time, I often visit vineyards. I not only love wine but also appreciate the people who make it and the surrounding environment," the former football star shared.
Upon returning to Japan, Nakata realized that his country's culture was not limited to wine. “Japan is not a place that produces wine. It has to be sake. I realized that sake is a unique product that can only be found in Japan. At that time, Japanese cuisine was becoming more and more known around the world . But no one knew about sake, including me. So I thought this was a great opportunity to learn about sake, because it is also a part of Japanese culture.”
Sake, an alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice, became a product that Nakata was interested in and researched. He achieved the "Master of Sake" certificate, affirming his deep understanding of this beverage.
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Nakata focused on the sake business after retiring. |
According to Celebrity Net Worth , Nakata has a net worth of $28 million . Nakata has been called the "Japanese David Beckham" by the media, showing his influence beyond the pitch. With his footballing talent and high brand recognition, Nakata became one of the richest players in Japan, as well as one of the Asian football icons of the 2000s.
During his playing days, he was one of the first Japanese players to make his mark in Serie A. During his eight years in Italy, Nakata played for a number of clubs, including AS Roma, Parma, Perugia, Fiorentina and Bologna. Nakata's peak came in the 1998/99 season when he scored 10 goals in 33 appearances for Perugia.
In Italy, Nakata won 2 championships, including 1 Serie A (with Roma in the 2000/01 season) and Coppa Italia (with Parma in the 2001/02 season).
In the Japanese national team, Nakata played 77 matches, scoring 11 goals.
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