Eiji Nagao had almost given up on his career as an artisanal cheese maker after surviving the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake that struck off Miyagi Prefecture.
However, with support and encouragement from friends and colleagues, the 43-year-old in December opened his own cheese factory in Hokkaido's Asahikawa, his wife's hometown, where he now resides.
"I want to produce cheese that can only be found here," Nagao said. His shop Japacheese, decorated with a wooden interior, sells natural cheeses made from milk produced by farmers in Asahikawa.