Ryusuke Fujioka, a contestant in the 9th World Draught Master Competition in Brussels last Friday, is about to take on an even stiffer challenge. He will be managing a new Belgian beer cafe near Tokyo Station.
It was the first time for Fujioka, 29, to take part in the contest, which was held at the Vaudeville Theater in the heart of Brussels.
Unfazed by the noise and cries coming from outside during one of the largest demonstrations in Belgium in decades -- almost 100,000 people marching against the government's plan to raise the retirement age to 60 -- the 27 contestants, including entrants from Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Russia and the United States, pulled different types of draft beer and served it to a jury of experts.