Oshikiri Moe is now a Sommelier

18 Oct – Popular Japanese model Oshikiri Moe has passed the "Wine Expert" exam, and has now been certified as a sommelier by the Japan Sommelier Association, according to Tokyo Hive.

The exam is open to anyone above the age of 20, however, it is said to be tough as last year's passing rate was estimated to be around 30%. The exam consists of a written component long with a "degustation" segment (wine tasting).

31-year-old Oshikiri discovered her passion for wine after she was chosen as a "Mercian Wine Ambassador" in 2009. She took the "Wine Expert" exam last year, but unfortunately failed the written test. Undaunted, this year, she took up the challenge to re-write the exam, and succeeded in her endeavor.

Oshikiri quiped, "I finally passed the exam! I'm really glad that I did not give up on it. I would like to send out the enjoyment of wine confidently to everybody from now on. I will do my best!"

For those unfamiliar with Oshikiri, some of her best known her work is with fashion magazine "AneCan" and its sister magazine "CanCam", which Oshikiri was a former top model for. She is also a designer, starting her own Kimono line branded under her name, as well as a hosiery line with CanCam model Yuri Ebihara called f*ing motesto.