Japanese Food Makers Step In to Preserve Sake Breweries' Legacy
Nagoya, Jan. 22 (Jiji Press)--As many sake breweries in Japan grapple with challenges such as an aging population of "toji" master brewers, a lack of successors and deteriorating facilities, food manufacturers are stepping in to sustain their operations and preserve their legacy for future generations.
Such initiatives coincide with a growing recognition of traditional sake-making techniques, including those used for "shochu" and "awamori" spirits, which were added to UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2024.
By leveraging their own expertise accumulated over years, food manufacturers are not only revitalizing sake brewing but also integrating brewing knowledge and by-products into their core business operations, creating valuable synergies.
Imuraya Group Co., a producer of Japanese sweets and other products based in the central city of Tsu, Mie Prefecture, stepped in to take over the operations of Fukui Shuzojo, a sake brewery in Iga, also in Mie, in 2019. The decision came after Imuraya learned from a brewer about the brewery's struggles with aging facilities and a lack of successors.
Imuraya's management, committed to preserving Japanese sweets as a part of traditional culture for future generations, recognized that the same dedication should extend to safeguarding the heritage of Japanese sake.
The brewery was relocated to the town of Taki in the same prefecture and renamed "Fukuwagura." Unconstrained by traditional sake-brewing methods, the new company leverages its expertise in factory management, including advanced sanitation practices and the efficient use of air conditioning systems, to produce sake with consistent quality year-round.
In addition, by accumulating detailed manufacturing data, the brewery has implemented a system that ensures standardized sake production with no variation in taste or flavor, eliminating the need to rely on the traditional toji master brewer system.
The venture into the liquor business has also had a positive impact on Imuraya's core operations. Originally known for producing "saka manju" sweet-bean buns, the company has introduced saka manju made with "moromi," the fermented mash used in sake production. Other innovations include incorporating "amazake," a fermented rice drink, and sake lees into seasonings, baked goods and Chinese steamed buns.
"Sake, which can be used in many products, helped us create new value," a company official said.
Ina Food Industry Co., an agar manufacturer headquartered in Ina, Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, took over Yonezawa Shuzo, a sake brewery located in the village of Nakagawa, Nagano, in 2014.
The acquisition was prompted by a tip from a local credit union about the brewery's struggles with debt and lack of successors. Committed to preserving the regional culture of local sake, Ina Food has dedicated the past decade to mastering sake brewing.
The company has revamped the sake brewing and related processes while preserving the product name and the traditional method of squeezing moromi. Ina Food has also obtained a test brewing license, enabling its laboratory staff, who were previously focused on agar product development, to collaborate with Yonezawa Shuzo employees on sake innovation, company officials said.
Unlike agar, which is primarily used as a coagulant in cooking, sake is judged directly by consumers in terms of its taste and other qualities. "With sake, we can create something that people might praise as delicious. I think our staff were eager to take on a challenge like that," Hidehiro Tsukagoshi, president of Ina Food, said.
Company officials noted that those involved, including the toji, were pleased to see the sake brewery continue its operations.
"Helping people is a key role expected of companies. Using profits from corporate activities to improve communities and bring benefits to people is an important mission," Tsukagoshi said. The company aims to advance fermentation research with the goal of eventually bringing a new sake product to market.
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