When life gave her lemons, film star Kirin Kiki didn't make lemonade, but wild grass enzyme juice.

It's the only thing that has satisfied her taste buds since her advanced-stage cancer caused her to lose her appetite, and even her desire for alcohol has vanished these past few months, she says.

But the 75-year-old, a unique personality in Japanese cinema, has learned that it's her attitude in the face of a sour situation that can make life sweet again.