Episode
Brewery Hierarchy - Sake Making Structure
- Podcast
- Sake Deep Dive
- Published
- Dec 31, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 3166
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Summary
As the New Year brings a sake drinking season to us all, Andy and Jim take a moment to think about the people who make it and the system that keeps the brewery pumping. From toji to kurabito, the roles in a sake brewery all play an important part in keeping our tokkuri filled. Listen in for the inside story. Kanpai! Vocab for this episode Kanzukuri 寒造り - The system of sake brewing during the cold seasons imposed by government edict in the Edo period. Kashira 頭 - Literally “head,” the second highest rank in a traditional organization, such as a sake brewery. Kōhai 後輩 - A relative rank referring to any member of a group junior to the speaker. Kurabito 蔵人 - The general term for the workers in a sake brewery without specific title. Ranked sometimes into Jō (upper) Chuu (middle) and Shita (lower) levels. Motoya 酛屋 - The person in charge of making the moto fermentation starter. Muroya 室屋 - The person in charge of making kōji in the kōjimuro. Oya or Oyabun 親・親分 - Literally “parent/father,” used as a term of address for people high up in a traditional organization, like a sake brewery. Sanyaku 三役 - The three major ranks/roles of a traditional organization, most commonly used these days in reference to the Sumo ranks of Ozeki, Sekiwaki, and Komusubi. In sake brewing, these are the Kashira, Muroya, and Motoya. Sendō 船頭 - The person in charge of pressing (traditionally a fune press). Senpai 先輩 - A relative rank referring to any member of a group senior to the speaker. Shain 社員 - The general word for a full time, permanent employee of a company. Replacing the traditional brewery structure of the tōji system. Sōtōji 総杜氏 - Overall tōji. In sake companies with more than one brewery, and so more than one tōji, the top of them all who coordinates all the sake production. Recommendation…