# Brewery Hierarchy - Sake Making Structure

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sake-deep-dive-4351284/brewery-hierarchy-sake-making-structure
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sake-deep-dive-4351284/brewery-hierarchy-sake-making-structure.md
Podcast: [Sake Deep Dive](https://stenobird.com/podcast/sake-deep-dive-4351284)
Published: 2025-12-31T23:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sake-deep-dive/episodes/Brewery-Hierarchy---Sake-Making-Structure-e3d0t82
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/6ae05d20/podcast/play/113324738/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-11-31%2Ffc73c97b-8eda-5cc4-fff0-0dba82fcc29c.m4a
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sake-deep-dive-4351284/episodes/brewery-hierarchy-sake-making-structure
Duration seconds: 3166

## Resource

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…

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