Learning on-site, practical knowledge—from sake brewers to tane-koji producers
January 23, 2026 (Japan) — In November 2025, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS) invited five wine professionals from France, Spain, Poland, Vietnam, and Brazil to take part in a training program held in Japan’s Tohoku region. Located in the northern part of the country, Tohoku is known both as a major rice-producing area and as a renowned sake-producing region.
Designed as an immersive, experience-based program, the training was intended not only to deepen participants’ understanding of contemporary Japanese sake, but also to encourage them—through firsthand experience—to expand sake education and apply their knowledge to sales activities in their home countries. Over five days, the participants visited seven sake breweries, one research center, and one tane-koji producer, gaining a multifaceted perspective on sake production and its cultural foundations.
Louis Le Conte, winner of the 2025 Best Young Sommelier Competition organized by the Union de la Sommellerie Française, commented that his perception of sake changed significantly following the tour. “Especially on the fact that sake production is completely different from wine production. I learned a lot about the rich history of sake, which I didn’t suspect. I also realized the real diversity of methods and types of Nihonshu.” Andrew Truong, Assistant Vice President of the Vietnam Sommelier Association, also expressed her determination to put the experience to practical use. “I will share this knowledge with the sommelier community in Vietnam so they can first enrich themselves, and then apply it in their work and teaching. Together, we can help build the market — it may grow a bit slowly, but it will surely succeed.”
One experience cited by many participants as particularly memorable was the training session at Akita Konno Shoten, a producer of tane-koji. Tane-koji refers to the spores of koji mold from which koji is made, and there are only five specialized producers supplying tane-koji in Japan. The koji mold used for tane-koji has been carefully selected and refined over many years at Japanese brewing sites from among approximately 97,000 species of molds said to exist worldwide. In December 2024, “Traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with koji mold in Japan” was inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, and international interest in koji has continued to grow. Professor Júlio César Kunz, Vice President of the Associação Brasileira de Sommeliers, concluded after engaging deeply with these traditions:
“The tour expanded my perception of sake from a technical category to a world of craftsmanship, cultural meaning, and emotional depth.”
At the same time, the JSS gained valuable insights from the participating wine professionals regarding further expansion of sake awareness.
Dawid Sojka, who is involved in the promotion of wine and sake in Poland, emphasized the importance of increasing points of contact with consumers.
“What we’re currently doing is reaching the largest possible target audience through festivals and dinners, with free tastings and short training sessions. Once we achieve this, the industry will either be convinced of the product itself or will be forced to try it.”
Gabriel Lucas, the Spanish representative at the ASI Contest Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa and Middle East 2024, also addressed the need to broaden access to sake from a distribution perspective. “I believe that it is necessary, not only for my country but also as a way of working, to create distribution hubs to simplify the work of importing to each country.” Although sake exports from January to November 2025 grew by approximately 8% year on year in value terms, the number of countries and regions to which sake is exported remained flat at around 80. Compared with other beverage categories, opportunities for consumers to encounter sake are still limited.
The JSS has maintained partnerships with the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale since 2022 and with the Union de la Sommellerie Française since 2020, and has continued to promote the dissemination of sake knowledge among wine professionals.
Through training programs such as this, the Association will continue to provide experiential opportunities—centered on sommeliers—to engage with the culture, appeal, and unique character of sake, while working to further enhance its international reputation.
