The Genealogy of Sake (2015) Movie Script
1
Dear god of the rice paddies -
Please send us
another good harvest this year.
People have been drinking sake
since the time of the gods.
Master brewers, or "toji",
have passed on their techniques
from generation to generation.
The Genealogy of Sake
The work of the master brewers -
is about dealing with rice...
and microscopic fungi,
invisible to the naked eye.
Responsibility for the entire brewery
rests with the toji master brewers.
Quality control was difficult
in the old days,
so the sake was sometimes spoiled.
If the sake was spoiled,
the brewery was ruined.
Due to this heavy responsibility,
some master brewers even took
their own lives.
Noto Toji Guild Chairman
Japan Sake Toji Guild Federation President
Tsunemasa Nakakura
I always wanted to become a toji
but took on the job...
not realizing how hard it was.
There's a constant fear that we live with.
Cooped up in the brewery for
six months without rest,
brewing sake is brutally hard work.
What drives these men to make sake?
Brewery workers are known as "kurabito".
The master brewers from Noto Peninsula
in Ishikawa, Japan are known as Noto Toji.
Shoichi Tempo was once a Noto toji.
Pressured by his father, also a toji,
he left school and joined a brewery.
I felt so lonely.
Scolded by the senior workers,
I was brought to tears at times.
I thought, "As long as I'm here,
I should try to learn something."
Keeping that in mind,
I tried my best.
I was born on a one-acre farm.
I couldn't stay at home in winter.
I followed my dad's advice,
and went away to work.
Like his father and grandfather,
Naohiko Noguchi became a toji.
I was the only one who started work
straight after junior high.
I felt like the only one
who was left behind.
During winter, farm work is impossible,
so being born as a farmer
meant there was no other choice
than to leave your family behind,
and go work in the breweries.
Due to the perseverance
of the Noto farmers,
new brewing techniques were developed.
Many celebrated brewers
were born in Noto.
However,
this was not always by choice.
Farmers of Noto went to work
in the breweries
as a means to protect
their ancestral land.
I'm going to plant sweet potatoes here.
Farming and fishing.
Many brewers of Noto do both
to make a living...
and live their lives close to nature.
We caught a fish!
The people of Noto hold many festivals
giving thanks to nature's bounty.
This is a dance performed by
children, known as "kiyarage".
The festivals in Noto are celebrated
throughout the town.
Noto Peninsula is the birthplace of
all Japanese festivals,
according to one theory.
At the Harvest Festival, people drink
sake together,
after offering it to the gods.
It is held every year, in spite of the
falling population.
Delicious!
Nature connects life.
Food is plentiful in the modern age,
but the people of Noto...
never forget their roots.
The sake we produce is a work of art.
Mr. Koichi Sanbai.
Along with Mr. Tempo and Mr. Noguchi,
he has survived the life of a brewer.
The Roaring Craftsman
I forgot my family - even forgot to eat
or change clothes.
I think I've done more than most
to get this far.
Koichi Sanbai, Naohiko Noguchi,
Shokichi Hase, Saburo Naka.
People call them
"The Sake Kings of Noto".
These Super Brewers laid the foundations
for todays refined sake.
They're so famous, they even appear in
the comic, "Natsuko's Sake".
The sake of Noto has
a simple and rich taste.
We have to pass on what we were taught...
to the next generation.
Mr. Noguchi and Mr. Hase
feel the same way.
This year, at the age of 80,
Mr. Noguchi retired from brewing.
He is spending New Years with his wife
for the first time in their marriage.
The Sake God's Break
Please, go ahead.
Does it taste good?
Not really!
He has won gold prize 27 times
at the Annual Newly Brewed Sake Awards.
He is known as "God of Sake".
After perfecting his skills and winning
fame, what does he aim for next?
Teaching the next generation.
Five of my apprentices
have become toji masters.
This year, after ten years as apprentice
to Mr. Noguchi,
Akiko Fujita made her debut as
a toji master at a brewery in Wakayama.
She is the first female master brewer
in Noto.
Blossoming After Ten Years
Are you conscious about being
a female toji?
Not at all.
Should I be more conscious?
People say women have to choose
between the happiness
of having a family,
or a successful career -
But you really don't have to
choose just one.
It's really watery today.
I've been working with him
for the past ten years.
In that time, I think I've learned
the basics -
human relations and the right
way of thinking.
It's never been this stiff before.
You can't turn it at all?
Is it anticlockwise,
or clockwise to open it?
Anticlockwise.
It seems that something is wrong
with the boiler.
You must let me know if it starts
playing up,
before it completely breaks down.
Don't try to fix it by yourself.
Talk to me about it, yeah?
Take this side.
Turn your hand the other way.
No, no.
You were holding it the wrong way.
I might be spending more time with
the guys than their family does
so I want to build an even better
relationship with them.
That's what I've got to work on.
Mr. Noguchi!
A surprise comeback at
the age of 81.
The Return of
the Sake God
Down to the bottom.
He didn't stay retired for long.
Nobody can stop this veteran.
Come in.
He's from Hokuriku Broadcasting Co.
I'm preparing for a report,
so I'd like to look around.
"The Master Toji is Back"
His comeback from retirement
drew a lot of attention.
"I will make sake even if it kills me."
I'm grateful.
But the sake isn't even finished and
there's all this excitement -
It's stressful.
Whatcha doing?
- I'm tying it up.
- Let me show you how.
Pull it hard or it won't go flat!
Give it another pull.
Are you even trying to learn?
I have to tell you the same things
again and again.
It's pathetic.
These brewers are either newcomers,
or have been trained in a different
brewing style.
So it has been very difficult.
At the beginning I kept telling them,
"You guys are useless!"
But they're getting better.
My daughter and wife told me,
"Don't go back to work.
You'll just cause trouble."
So they didn't even help me
get ready for work.
Dinner's ready!
Malted rice, or koji rice,
is added to fermented squid.
Extra fermentation improves the flavor
and increases the nutritional value.
Thank you.
It's delicious!
Really?
I put it in just now, so don't think
there's a difference you know.
It's my dream.
There's still so much I want to do.
What makes people so passionate
about brewing sake?
The oldest document about sake in Japan
tells this story:
One day, a shrine virgin chewed
some kind of grain in her mouth,
spat it into a pot and let it ferment.
This was called "chewed sake".
Opinion is divided about
the origin of sake in Japan,
but it's said that malted rice, or koji,
which is a necessary ingredient
for sake brewing,
came from China to Japan in Muromachi era
together with rice paddy agriculture.
The roots of modern Japanese sake...
This is Saka Shrine in Izumo City,
Shimane Prefecture.
There is a legend about sake
told around here.
Once upon a time,
there was a rice paddy of the gods.
Sparrows would come to this paddy,
peck the grains of rice, and drink
the water of a nearby river.
In October of the Chinese calendar,
myriads of gods from all over Japan
gathered in Izumo.
"So, who's fates shall we entwine
this year?"
"Who should we tie with who?"
As the gods debated whom they should
join together...
"Wait! What's that enticing aroma?"
It was coming from a hollow in a
pine tree close to Saka shrine.
Inside the hollow was a
milky-white liquid.
The liquid was formed...
from the sparrows' saliva, which
contained dissolved rice.
It had fermented inside the hollow.
The gods named this liquid "doburoku",
and held a party lasting 180 days.
According to
the "Izumo Fudoki" chronicle,
"180 gods gathered
in the land of Saka,"
"held a party for 180 days,
and departed."
In a tradition which has continued to
the present day,
the Doburoku Festival is held each year
at Saka Shrine.
Even the gods were entranced
by the charms of sake.
The origins of sake
may be miraculous,
but let us look at the
modern brewing process.
A special strain of rice called
"sakamai" is used.
Sakamai
The starch core of the rice is
particularly large.
The rice is milled to reveal
this core of starch.
The sake will be called "Honjozo-shu",
"Ginjo-shu" and so on,
according to the level of milling.
Next, the rice is washed.
Then left to soak.
It is then steamed.
Koji mold is sprinkled over the rice
to make koji rice.
This koji mold is a "national mold",
found only in Japan.
It is also known as
"yellow malted rice mold"
and its Latin name is
"aspergillus oryzae".
This fungus is an essential ingredient
for brewing sake.
Controlling the temperature and humidity
encourages the mold spores to germinate,
using moisture contained in the rice.
Next, the yeast starter is produced.
In Japanese, its called
"The Mother of Sake".
Moto
Yeast makes her entrance at this stage.
Yeast
First, water is poured into the barrel.
Lactic acid is added,
and yeast is mixed in.
The koji rice we just saw
and steamed rice is then added.
The koji mold creates enzymes that convert
the rice starches into fermentable sugars.
The yeast consumes the sugar,
and produces alcohol.
Because sake is brewed using
two types of fungus in the same tank,
it is known as the most sophisticated
brewed alcohol in the world.
Next, using a three-step process
the same ingredients in the yeast starter
are added again,
thus increasing the volume of
the fermenting mash.
This is then gently fermented
for around one month.
When the desired level is reached,
the mash is pressed, producing sake.
In the past, brewers would wait for
lactic acid to form naturally,
through processes called
kimoto and yamahai-moto.
Mr. Noguchi, and Saburo Naka
of the Four Sake Kings, are famous
for reviving these old brewing methods.
What does brewing sake mean...
to Mr. Naka?
The Man Awaited for 40 Years
Kenji Okada is the son of
a tobacco farmer.
When he was young, he was smaller than
most children.
I watched him as he grew up,
working the fields with a tractor,
having kids of his own -
he was such a hard worker.
I was sure he would take over
his family farm someday,
so I had to get him into brewing
before that.
You know, I've had my eye on him
ever since he was a kid.
They were destined to meet
in the tobacco field.
Over the many years that have
passed since then,
the brewing tradition has been
handed on.
Here, you try it.
He's never done this before.
Yeah! That's the way to do it.
He taught me how to do it.
Well, maybe he just put me
on the right track.
Yamashita was talking about
marrying his girlfriend.
I said, "I'm gonna teach him the trade,
so please entrust him in my care."
His girlfriend accepted that
with a smile.
The apprentices are cooped up
in the brewery for six months.
The toji masters care for them
as if they were family.
This year, Mr. Okada has been given
full responsibility.
The pressure is incredible!
Anyway, I just have to try my best.
Everything will work out.
Getting to this point
has taken him 40 years.
For Mr. Naka,
brewing sake means...
"brewing" people, too.
He's my master, and also
like a father to me.
I took on Mr. Hakuto.
I looked after him as an apprentice.
He's a young man of high calibre.
A great guy.
He's been trained by Mr. Sakaguchi
and Mr. Noguchi, too.
He was at Shokichi Hase's brewery, too.
The Noto style runs through his veins.
Kiichi Hakuto and his wife, Akiko.
Their mission:
To keep a traditional
Noto brewery running.
Receiving the Baton
For the brewery's future, they asked
a top-class toji to train them.
They asked the top apprentice of
one of the Sake Kings -
Yukio Sakaguchi.
He's tough, and scary!
He taught me how to make koji
as strictly as he would a man.
He'd say, "I've already checked
the temperature,"
"so don't keep lifting the cover!"
He'd always do things
before we had chance to!
So I once told him,
"Please, go get some rest!"
"Let me check it."
When I was one year old,
my grandpa said to me,
"The brewery is in your hands."
My grandma told me he said so.
Hearing that story always makes me cry.
That's more than enough,
for the family.
That's how I feel.
Whenever I hear that story,
I think it's amazing!
As someone who married
into this family,
I wonder if I can manage to do it.
I'd like to be able to
contribute something.
You know, in my own way.
"Connect the family brewery
to the future".
Keeping that in mind, they somehow
completed the training,
but then their world was
turned upside down.
The 2007 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.
The Magnitude 6.9 quake...
destroyed their precious brewery.
The first person who came to help
was Mr. Sakaguchi.
Miraculously, a single bottle of sake
had survived.
That sake won a prize
at the Japan Sake Awards.
Okay!
See you later, grandma!
See you later!
Take care!
Their oldest son, Akihiro.
Do you know what your parents do
for a living?
They make sake.
What do you want to be
when you grow up?
I don't know.
As long as he sees us working hard,
I'm sure he'll want to follow
in our footsteps.
In any case, we have to set him
a good example.
We can think about the rest later.
Right on cue!
You have put your heart into brewing.
I don't want to teach people who are
half-hearted.
You know, Mr. Hakuto and I are rivals!
We each have to try and make
the best sake we can.
Looking to the future, Mr. Sakaguchi has
produced a successor.
His brewery has won many honors.
This is the celebration of their
gold prize.
We made this sake together.
I'm so happy we won this prize.
Thank you all so much.
If you treat the youngsters badly,
it's you who suffers in the end.
I say to the boss -
"I'm on their side! Not on your side".
It's thanks to them that I can do it.
Mr. Sakaguchi's son, Mamoru.
He is training at his father's brewery.
Do you want to succeed your father
as a toji master?
No way!
It's impossible.
Working as a brewer is fine,
but as a master,
everyone's livelihood depends on you.
The job shouldn't be taken on lightly.
Even 10 or 20 year veteran brewers
don't want to do it.
I've only done it for 5 or 6 years.
So, you know,
no way.
I've seen what it's like,
so I can't take it on.
Being so close, he can see
how hard it is.
Over there.
A bit more.
This one sounds good!
Put it down there.
Ah, it's cracked.
Who do you think should succeed you?
Honestly, I think my son should.
I don't know if he wants to, though!
He's a quick learner,
so he'd be fine.
There are many difficult sides
to this job.
Fathers and sons fight each other
sometimes, and other things too!
Two of my gastric ulcers burst.
One of them turned out to be cancer.
Mr. Sakaguchi has collapsed in the
brewery three times already.
His first words to me were
"I'm gonna die, son."
An ambulance came, and when
they were ready to go,
someone from the company
told me to go with him.
But my dad told me to
get back to work,
and I was left behind.
I'll probably end up dying on the job.
The doctor told me I should quit
before that happens.
I said to him,
"Nobody will let me quit!"
He said, "If you listen to them,
you'll die before they do!"
Whether you live long, or live short,
you should do what you enjoy.
That's what I think.
People have to live off this land.
The farmland, the greenery.
We have always protected it.
We've been here since the age of gods,
and we still keep the same culture.
Even now, sake brewers are still
protecting this land.
Brewing sake connects the land
to the future.
We used to write a lot of letters.
This takes me back.
It's nice to do sometimes, you know?
Reading your early love-letters!
Let's see.
He used to write back straight away.
Charisma in Love
"When I read your letter today,"
"my heart became full of
light and joy."
"My darling wife, Toyoko,"
"I promise you happiness.
Ever yours, Shokichi."
Love letters from Shokichi Hase,
one of the Four Sake Kings,
to his wife, Toyoko,
the guardian of their home.
They were childhood friends,
and often played together in the sea.
With the support of Toyoko, and after
many years of training,
Mr. Hase reached the level of
Top Master Brewer.
Mr. Noguchi was his classmate,
and longtime rival.
My husband would say,
"Mr. Noguchi has a lot of fans..."
"...so he has to brew sake
until he dies".
and I thought,
"What? Until he dies!?"
Mr. Noguchi is so passionate about
brewing, so I wasn't surprised...
that he made a come back.
He just can't give it up.
"Brewing sake until he dies" -
In the end, those words...
predicted his own fate.
He gave his life to sake brewing.
He died at the age of 77.
Three months is a long time,
but it passed so quickly.
After that, he and Toyoko parted...
for eternity.
What legacy has this romantic,
charismatic man left behind?
"Brewer Shokichi Hase Memorial"
It was amazing!
If he'd never been a master brewer,
not many people would have come.
Probably.
I don't have to worry about anything.
He took care of that.
You know, about money,
or the future - anything like that.
There you go.
At the brewery in Shizuoka prefecture
where Mr. Hase used to work,
Minori Shinba was chosen to
take his place as master brewer.
He has taken on the large responsibility
of recreating the taste of
his master's sake.
Offering to a Great Master
The word "successor" will be
added after Hase's name on the label,
meaning it was produced
by Hase's apprentice.
It's hard to find the words.
Mr. Hase was...
Ummm...
Just a minute.
Well, you know, he was my master.
He used to say, "Shinba, never give in!"
But he never explained
what I shouldn't give in to!
I still don't know.
He always respected
the pride of the brewers,
and their attitude towards the job.
He always nurtured their pride, I think.
- Thank you for having us.
- You're welcome.
Could you get the door for me?
Nomikiri is a ceremony...
to taste sake that has matured
over the summer.
Mr. Hase used to perform it every year.
Even now,
in the presence of his master,
Mr. Shinba tests the quality of the
sake he has brewed himself.
I get nervous when you taste it,
Mrs. Hase!
I hope they catch something good!
It's coming.
Take it! Take it!
Ow! Ow!
I caught an octopus!
That hurts!
Wow!
Like that?
Yeah, I'm rubbing salt into it.
Oh, I see.
Can I take a photo?
Here you go.
- Octopuses eat their own legs, you know?
- Ah, that's right.
You see?
They eat this bit too?
No, it can't eat its own head!
- Of course not!
- They just eat their own legs.
She's amazing!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
There aren't enough legs for everyone!
I think of them as family,
like my sons and grandsons.
You know, they come to visit me
once a year.
Wow!
- Is it raw, or boiled?
- I boiled it.
Help yourselves.
You're quick!
It's delicious!
It tastes wild.
It's really good.
Thank you for cleaning the grave!
Look, there's a frog.
He loved frogs.
I know he loved cats.
He's pleased that you've come to
pay your respects.
Master, please look kindly on me.
I will always be following
in his footsteps.
That's a bit difficult at the moment.
The two top-class brewers trained
under all the Sake Kings,
Mr. Sakaguchi and Osamu Ie.
Mister Perfect
Mr. Ie,
what drives you to brew sake?
Being married to my wife!
I told my parents I couldn't leave
the brewery, even for a funeral.
My mother died in December,
so I couldn't go.
My wife did everything, and went to
the funeral in my place.
I left everything to her,
because I trust her!
I guess the wives of brewers have always
done the same.
No matter what happens,
you just have to deal with them
one by one the best you can.
They say being a master brewer
is not a job, it's a calling.
I think that's true.
Brewing sake is fun!
It's really fun!
The philosophy of sake brewing is -
"Harmonious brewing makes good sake".
This is a teaching of
his predecessor, Mr.Tempo.
Harmonious brewing
makes good sake
The harmony of the brewers
produces good sake.
It's part of your job!
Yeah and I thought, "Why am I here?
I've never felt this cold in my life!"
How old were you?
I was 50!
I sent you some sake.
What do you think of this year's sake?
The rice was washed well,
and the koji was decent.
It has such a smooth taste.
Five seconds more.
If you please.
Some say that Mr. Ie's ability
excels even that of...
the Sake Kings of Noto.
This talent showed itself early on
in his career.
I was invited to taste some sake
by my master.
I could tell the subtle differences,
so maybe I did have talent.
His senses were praised
by the chief brewers,
but in his youth,
he made some mistakes.
Just before New Years,
I went to the barbershop.
When I got back, Mr. Noguchi was angry
for some reason.
I apologized, and decided not to leave
the brewery, no matter what.
So then I studied under Mr. Noguchi
24 hours a day.
Brewing sake is just like
raising a child for me.
Looking at these encourages me to
do my best.
Brewing sake takes half a year,
and it's good to switch back to
normal life.
If I had to do this all year round,
I'd be having second thoughts!
"Noto Brewers Guild"
The Noto Toji Guild holds a
Ginjo-shu seminar every year.
The speaker this year is
a master brewer...
who commutes to the brewery,
and brews sake all year round.
Thank you for
letting me speak today.
Facing the Times
Honestly, I don't care if the rice is
broken or not.
My only concern is the weight,
so I don't care if the grain is
broken or not.
As long as it's milled down
to under 60%,
I can make highly refined
sake (Daiginjo-shu).
The techniques of the craftsman
and the needs of the company...
are often at odds with each other.
We produce koji by machine,
so we never check the taste or aroma.
We created this process so that
anyone could do it.
You need to build a system that any
employee can use.
If you don't, your brewery will
probably go bust in the end.
If you need to train for 10 or 20 years
before you can make koji,
it's very difficult for youngsters to
gain the skills.
I'd like to ask
if anything changes when...
you start commuting to work
instead of living in the brewery.
Let me ask you this. When a veteran
brewer is training youngsters,
what's the best way to hand down
those techniques?
That's what I'd like to know.
In these changing times,
what techniques should be taught to
the next generation?
What is the best way to connect
tradition with the future?
A top class brewer who continues
to reign at the top in Noto,
Yukio Sakaguchi.
The Eternal Challenger
After leaving junior high school,
he began his training, with the
position of dishwasher.
It was really tough in those days.
50 years after entering the brewery,
he had an accident, and lost
the fingertips of his left hand.
Even after that,
he never thought of quitting.
Meeting his master, Shokichi Hase,
was a turning point in his life.
I learned so much from Mr. Hase.
"If you do this, then that will happen,
and so on.
It's all thanks to Mr. Hase.
Toru Minamoto is a brewer
at the brewery where Mr. Hase works.
He is in charge of the ordinary sake.
His ambition is to brew high-grade
sake, like his master.
Aspiring to get into brewing,
he worked as a sake salesman.
Then Mr. Sakaguchi took him
under his wing.
My master can tell the condition
just by looking once or twice.
But it takes me at least ten times
before I can even guess.
"Brewer Break Room"
It wasn't changing much.
It went down to "7" in the end,
on the sixth time.
He said he was having problems,
so I told him a better way to do it.
He took me in, and brought me up.
Repaying his master's kindness
by brewing sake.
When I started, I thought it would take
me ten years...
before I could say, "I'll try and make
my own sake now".
I'm still nowhere near.
If you can't make refined sake,
you can't make it as a craftsman.
I'm panicking a little!
Some goals are unreachable, no matter
how hard you try.
Perhaps most goals are like that.
But never give up.
Take another step forward.
Only the chosen can survive...
the world of the toji.
This is good sake.
Here.
It's good sake.
It is New Years at the brewery.
Thank you.
"Don't panic".
"Let other people take care of
everything".
You know, harmony for everyone.
The brewers, their safety.
That comes first!
He prayed for the safety of the
brewers, not for his own health.
It's time to brew Daiginjo-shu,
the brewery's flagship refined sake.
The highest-grade "Yamada Nishiki"
rice is used.
The first stage, washing the rice,
is the most important for the master.
Everyone is nervous.
Three minutes?
Yeah, three minutes is enough.
Ten seconds!
5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
Okay.
Five seconds!
3, 2, 1...
- Okay.
- Ten seconds!
It seems that the moisture level was
a little too low.
Next up is his son, Mamoru.
This is his second year of making koji.
The temperature of the rice...
must rise to a certain level within a
certain amount of time.
Success or failure is decided by the
delicate movement of the mold.
It's invisible, so you never know
what's happening.
I hope it's done soon...
The master has put up a plastic sheet
to keep them warm.
I'm so tired. I can't even smile.
He gets angry.
He's so stubborn, too.
Even when he's wrong.
I just have to do what he says.
I'm going to stick with him...
right to the end.
After 48 hours,
it seems the koji is ready.
It smells good.
Okay!
It looks good.
That should be enough.
It's only my second year,
but it looks okay to me.
I never even dreamed
he would do this much.
I want to pat him on the back.
"Yeast Starter Room"
The next stage is making
the yeast starter.
The koji rice that Mamoru made...
will be mixed with yeast.
Two different fungi work together
in the same barrel...
to brew sake.
The mystical process has started.
Only the gods know what kind of sake
it will become.
The morning of the 14th day.
The yeast starter is ready,
with a high concentration of yeast cells.
They add some more
to increase the quantity.
Two days later, the amount is
increased once more.
After this process...
The toji and the fermenting mash
will battle in single combat.
For around one month, there is
no rest for the toji.
After the batch making is done,
I feel like I'm at one with the sake.
Smells good.
Progress reports.
The red numbers show the target level.
The fermentation is proceeding
almost exactly on target.
It's alright so far.
They deal face to face
with the sake all day,
looking forward to the pressing.
Well,
How shall I put it?
I'm aiming for my own special sake.
In other words...
I want people to say
"His sake is like this".
That's all.
Another 25 days have passed.
The master has done everything
he had to do.
At last, the scheduled day of
pressing has arrived.
There is alcohol, but it's
not quite done.
The meter's showing "2", so it'll take
another four days.
Four or five days!
The fermentation is incomplete,
so it cannot be pressed yet.
I think maybe there's a bit
too much flavor,
so I'm going to add some water
to lighten it.
Only she herself knows
when she'll be ready.
Hopefully I should know by tomorrow.
My head hurts!
Has the mash turned out as he hoped?
It's getting better, but I need to
add more water.
His strategy has fallen short.
Could it be because of the weather?
No, not the weather.
It's usually on schedule,
but not this time!
There seems to be nothing else
he can do.
What is it about sake that drives the
master to these lengths?
It's my dream.
Doing it this way or that way,
it's because I have a vision.
That's all.
But the master's words sound empty...
as the fermenting mash refuses to obey.
The taste may turn out differently
from what he was aiming for.
The next morning, the master called us.
Today, that one and this one,
they're all working!
Maybe it was the weather after all.
Miraculously, the fermenting mash which
refused to obey, suddenly started working!
Master, why did that happen?
I chose the wrong yeast.
The wrong yeast.
Brewing sake means dealing with the
mystical realm of fungi.
That almost killed me!
Look, I've lost weight.
The brewers of Noto give their passion
to one cup of sake.
That passion comes from their
ancestors' love for the earth.
The bountiful earth
embraces our lives.
And this cycle will continue...
far, far into the future.
It's my dream.
Cast
KOICHI SANBAI
NAOHIKO NOGUCHI
SHOKICHI HASE
SABURO NAKA
SHOICHI TEMPO
TSUNEMASA NAKAKURA
YUKIO SAKAGUCHI
OSAMU IE
KENJI OKADA
KIICHI HAKUTO
AKIKO HAKUTO
MINORI SHINBA
AKIKO FUJITA
TORU MINAMOTO
TOMOHIRO UCHIYAMA
Filming Support
Association of Noto Toji
Association of Housu Sake Brewers
Narration
TOMOE SHINOHARA
Producers
KAORI ISHII
RIKA SAIGO
Cinematographer
TAKEHIKO TAMIYA
Recordist
MANABU OTSUKA
Editor
MASANARI KAZUYOSHI
Music
KENSAKU TANIKAWA
Piano
KENSAKU TANIKAWA
Trumpet
MASAHIRO MAKIHARA
Horn
ERINA MATSUSHIMA
Trombone
TOMOKI MITSUKA
Tuba
ATSUSHI MATSUNAGA
Soprano saxophone
MAHORO IWASA
Bass
HIROAKI MIZUTANI
Percussion
KIKUKO YASUI
Marimba
YUKAPON
Sound Engineer
ICHIROPREMIER ENGINEERING INC.
Assistant sound engineer
Asuka Sudo (PREMIER Engineering Inc. )
Recording Studio
STUDIO DEDE
Mastering Studio
ICHIRO ROOM
Cosponsors
THE HOKKOKU BANK. LTD.
THE HOKURIKU BANK., LTD.
KONO SHINKIN BANK
THE NOTO KYOUEI SHINKIN BANK
Suzushi Japan Agricultural Cooperatives
Uchiuramachi Japan Agricultural
Cooperatives Kagaya Hotels. Co. Ltd
Kyodo Giken Chemical Co.,Ltd.
Cooperation
Suzu City
Wajima City
Noto Town
Anamizu Town
Association of Noto Toji
Association of Housu Sake Brewers
Housu Liquor Merchants Association
The Suzu Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Wajima Chamber of Commerce and
Industry
The Monzen Town Commercial and Industrial
Association The Noto-Town Commercial and
Industrial Association The Anamizu-Town
Commercial and Industrial Association Noto
Peninsula Tourism Association
Post Production Cooperation
EIKO Co., Ltd.
Special Cooperation
HOKKOKU SHIMBUN Inc.
Ei-Publishing Co., Ltd.
Sponsored by
Ishikawa Prefecture
Supported by the Agency for Cultural
Affairs, Government of Japan
Produced by
Ikkon Film Partners
GULI Creates Inc.
Distribution
GULI Creates Inc.
Special thanks to
Association of Noto Toji
Nomi Tomo Supporters
Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries
Director
KAORI ISHII
Translation Advisor
REBEKAH WILSON-LYE
AURA Co., Ltd.
Milleon Inc.
Dear god of the rice paddies -
Please send us
another good harvest this year.
People have been drinking sake
since the time of the gods.
Master brewers, or "toji",
have passed on their techniques
from generation to generation.
The Genealogy of Sake
The work of the master brewers -
is about dealing with rice...
and microscopic fungi,
invisible to the naked eye.
Responsibility for the entire brewery
rests with the toji master brewers.
Quality control was difficult
in the old days,
so the sake was sometimes spoiled.
If the sake was spoiled,
the brewery was ruined.
Due to this heavy responsibility,
some master brewers even took
their own lives.
Noto Toji Guild Chairman
Japan Sake Toji Guild Federation President
Tsunemasa Nakakura
I always wanted to become a toji
but took on the job...
not realizing how hard it was.
There's a constant fear that we live with.
Cooped up in the brewery for
six months without rest,
brewing sake is brutally hard work.
What drives these men to make sake?
Brewery workers are known as "kurabito".
The master brewers from Noto Peninsula
in Ishikawa, Japan are known as Noto Toji.
Shoichi Tempo was once a Noto toji.
Pressured by his father, also a toji,
he left school and joined a brewery.
I felt so lonely.
Scolded by the senior workers,
I was brought to tears at times.
I thought, "As long as I'm here,
I should try to learn something."
Keeping that in mind,
I tried my best.
I was born on a one-acre farm.
I couldn't stay at home in winter.
I followed my dad's advice,
and went away to work.
Like his father and grandfather,
Naohiko Noguchi became a toji.
I was the only one who started work
straight after junior high.
I felt like the only one
who was left behind.
During winter, farm work is impossible,
so being born as a farmer
meant there was no other choice
than to leave your family behind,
and go work in the breweries.
Due to the perseverance
of the Noto farmers,
new brewing techniques were developed.
Many celebrated brewers
were born in Noto.
However,
this was not always by choice.
Farmers of Noto went to work
in the breweries
as a means to protect
their ancestral land.
I'm going to plant sweet potatoes here.
Farming and fishing.
Many brewers of Noto do both
to make a living...
and live their lives close to nature.
We caught a fish!
The people of Noto hold many festivals
giving thanks to nature's bounty.
This is a dance performed by
children, known as "kiyarage".
The festivals in Noto are celebrated
throughout the town.
Noto Peninsula is the birthplace of
all Japanese festivals,
according to one theory.
At the Harvest Festival, people drink
sake together,
after offering it to the gods.
It is held every year, in spite of the
falling population.
Delicious!
Nature connects life.
Food is plentiful in the modern age,
but the people of Noto...
never forget their roots.
The sake we produce is a work of art.
Mr. Koichi Sanbai.
Along with Mr. Tempo and Mr. Noguchi,
he has survived the life of a brewer.
The Roaring Craftsman
I forgot my family - even forgot to eat
or change clothes.
I think I've done more than most
to get this far.
Koichi Sanbai, Naohiko Noguchi,
Shokichi Hase, Saburo Naka.
People call them
"The Sake Kings of Noto".
These Super Brewers laid the foundations
for todays refined sake.
They're so famous, they even appear in
the comic, "Natsuko's Sake".
The sake of Noto has
a simple and rich taste.
We have to pass on what we were taught...
to the next generation.
Mr. Noguchi and Mr. Hase
feel the same way.
This year, at the age of 80,
Mr. Noguchi retired from brewing.
He is spending New Years with his wife
for the first time in their marriage.
The Sake God's Break
Please, go ahead.
Does it taste good?
Not really!
He has won gold prize 27 times
at the Annual Newly Brewed Sake Awards.
He is known as "God of Sake".
After perfecting his skills and winning
fame, what does he aim for next?
Teaching the next generation.
Five of my apprentices
have become toji masters.
This year, after ten years as apprentice
to Mr. Noguchi,
Akiko Fujita made her debut as
a toji master at a brewery in Wakayama.
She is the first female master brewer
in Noto.
Blossoming After Ten Years
Are you conscious about being
a female toji?
Not at all.
Should I be more conscious?
People say women have to choose
between the happiness
of having a family,
or a successful career -
But you really don't have to
choose just one.
It's really watery today.
I've been working with him
for the past ten years.
In that time, I think I've learned
the basics -
human relations and the right
way of thinking.
It's never been this stiff before.
You can't turn it at all?
Is it anticlockwise,
or clockwise to open it?
Anticlockwise.
It seems that something is wrong
with the boiler.
You must let me know if it starts
playing up,
before it completely breaks down.
Don't try to fix it by yourself.
Talk to me about it, yeah?
Take this side.
Turn your hand the other way.
No, no.
You were holding it the wrong way.
I might be spending more time with
the guys than their family does
so I want to build an even better
relationship with them.
That's what I've got to work on.
Mr. Noguchi!
A surprise comeback at
the age of 81.
The Return of
the Sake God
Down to the bottom.
He didn't stay retired for long.
Nobody can stop this veteran.
Come in.
He's from Hokuriku Broadcasting Co.
I'm preparing for a report,
so I'd like to look around.
"The Master Toji is Back"
His comeback from retirement
drew a lot of attention.
"I will make sake even if it kills me."
I'm grateful.
But the sake isn't even finished and
there's all this excitement -
It's stressful.
Whatcha doing?
- I'm tying it up.
- Let me show you how.
Pull it hard or it won't go flat!
Give it another pull.
Are you even trying to learn?
I have to tell you the same things
again and again.
It's pathetic.
These brewers are either newcomers,
or have been trained in a different
brewing style.
So it has been very difficult.
At the beginning I kept telling them,
"You guys are useless!"
But they're getting better.
My daughter and wife told me,
"Don't go back to work.
You'll just cause trouble."
So they didn't even help me
get ready for work.
Dinner's ready!
Malted rice, or koji rice,
is added to fermented squid.
Extra fermentation improves the flavor
and increases the nutritional value.
Thank you.
It's delicious!
Really?
I put it in just now, so don't think
there's a difference you know.
It's my dream.
There's still so much I want to do.
What makes people so passionate
about brewing sake?
The oldest document about sake in Japan
tells this story:
One day, a shrine virgin chewed
some kind of grain in her mouth,
spat it into a pot and let it ferment.
This was called "chewed sake".
Opinion is divided about
the origin of sake in Japan,
but it's said that malted rice, or koji,
which is a necessary ingredient
for sake brewing,
came from China to Japan in Muromachi era
together with rice paddy agriculture.
The roots of modern Japanese sake...
This is Saka Shrine in Izumo City,
Shimane Prefecture.
There is a legend about sake
told around here.
Once upon a time,
there was a rice paddy of the gods.
Sparrows would come to this paddy,
peck the grains of rice, and drink
the water of a nearby river.
In October of the Chinese calendar,
myriads of gods from all over Japan
gathered in Izumo.
"So, who's fates shall we entwine
this year?"
"Who should we tie with who?"
As the gods debated whom they should
join together...
"Wait! What's that enticing aroma?"
It was coming from a hollow in a
pine tree close to Saka shrine.
Inside the hollow was a
milky-white liquid.
The liquid was formed...
from the sparrows' saliva, which
contained dissolved rice.
It had fermented inside the hollow.
The gods named this liquid "doburoku",
and held a party lasting 180 days.
According to
the "Izumo Fudoki" chronicle,
"180 gods gathered
in the land of Saka,"
"held a party for 180 days,
and departed."
In a tradition which has continued to
the present day,
the Doburoku Festival is held each year
at Saka Shrine.
Even the gods were entranced
by the charms of sake.
The origins of sake
may be miraculous,
but let us look at the
modern brewing process.
A special strain of rice called
"sakamai" is used.
Sakamai
The starch core of the rice is
particularly large.
The rice is milled to reveal
this core of starch.
The sake will be called "Honjozo-shu",
"Ginjo-shu" and so on,
according to the level of milling.
Next, the rice is washed.
Then left to soak.
It is then steamed.
Koji mold is sprinkled over the rice
to make koji rice.
This koji mold is a "national mold",
found only in Japan.
It is also known as
"yellow malted rice mold"
and its Latin name is
"aspergillus oryzae".
This fungus is an essential ingredient
for brewing sake.
Controlling the temperature and humidity
encourages the mold spores to germinate,
using moisture contained in the rice.
Next, the yeast starter is produced.
In Japanese, its called
"The Mother of Sake".
Moto
Yeast makes her entrance at this stage.
Yeast
First, water is poured into the barrel.
Lactic acid is added,
and yeast is mixed in.
The koji rice we just saw
and steamed rice is then added.
The koji mold creates enzymes that convert
the rice starches into fermentable sugars.
The yeast consumes the sugar,
and produces alcohol.
Because sake is brewed using
two types of fungus in the same tank,
it is known as the most sophisticated
brewed alcohol in the world.
Next, using a three-step process
the same ingredients in the yeast starter
are added again,
thus increasing the volume of
the fermenting mash.
This is then gently fermented
for around one month.
When the desired level is reached,
the mash is pressed, producing sake.
In the past, brewers would wait for
lactic acid to form naturally,
through processes called
kimoto and yamahai-moto.
Mr. Noguchi, and Saburo Naka
of the Four Sake Kings, are famous
for reviving these old brewing methods.
What does brewing sake mean...
to Mr. Naka?
The Man Awaited for 40 Years
Kenji Okada is the son of
a tobacco farmer.
When he was young, he was smaller than
most children.
I watched him as he grew up,
working the fields with a tractor,
having kids of his own -
he was such a hard worker.
I was sure he would take over
his family farm someday,
so I had to get him into brewing
before that.
You know, I've had my eye on him
ever since he was a kid.
They were destined to meet
in the tobacco field.
Over the many years that have
passed since then,
the brewing tradition has been
handed on.
Here, you try it.
He's never done this before.
Yeah! That's the way to do it.
He taught me how to do it.
Well, maybe he just put me
on the right track.
Yamashita was talking about
marrying his girlfriend.
I said, "I'm gonna teach him the trade,
so please entrust him in my care."
His girlfriend accepted that
with a smile.
The apprentices are cooped up
in the brewery for six months.
The toji masters care for them
as if they were family.
This year, Mr. Okada has been given
full responsibility.
The pressure is incredible!
Anyway, I just have to try my best.
Everything will work out.
Getting to this point
has taken him 40 years.
For Mr. Naka,
brewing sake means...
"brewing" people, too.
He's my master, and also
like a father to me.
I took on Mr. Hakuto.
I looked after him as an apprentice.
He's a young man of high calibre.
A great guy.
He's been trained by Mr. Sakaguchi
and Mr. Noguchi, too.
He was at Shokichi Hase's brewery, too.
The Noto style runs through his veins.
Kiichi Hakuto and his wife, Akiko.
Their mission:
To keep a traditional
Noto brewery running.
Receiving the Baton
For the brewery's future, they asked
a top-class toji to train them.
They asked the top apprentice of
one of the Sake Kings -
Yukio Sakaguchi.
He's tough, and scary!
He taught me how to make koji
as strictly as he would a man.
He'd say, "I've already checked
the temperature,"
"so don't keep lifting the cover!"
He'd always do things
before we had chance to!
So I once told him,
"Please, go get some rest!"
"Let me check it."
When I was one year old,
my grandpa said to me,
"The brewery is in your hands."
My grandma told me he said so.
Hearing that story always makes me cry.
That's more than enough,
for the family.
That's how I feel.
Whenever I hear that story,
I think it's amazing!
As someone who married
into this family,
I wonder if I can manage to do it.
I'd like to be able to
contribute something.
You know, in my own way.
"Connect the family brewery
to the future".
Keeping that in mind, they somehow
completed the training,
but then their world was
turned upside down.
The 2007 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.
The Magnitude 6.9 quake...
destroyed their precious brewery.
The first person who came to help
was Mr. Sakaguchi.
Miraculously, a single bottle of sake
had survived.
That sake won a prize
at the Japan Sake Awards.
Okay!
See you later, grandma!
See you later!
Take care!
Their oldest son, Akihiro.
Do you know what your parents do
for a living?
They make sake.
What do you want to be
when you grow up?
I don't know.
As long as he sees us working hard,
I'm sure he'll want to follow
in our footsteps.
In any case, we have to set him
a good example.
We can think about the rest later.
Right on cue!
You have put your heart into brewing.
I don't want to teach people who are
half-hearted.
You know, Mr. Hakuto and I are rivals!
We each have to try and make
the best sake we can.
Looking to the future, Mr. Sakaguchi has
produced a successor.
His brewery has won many honors.
This is the celebration of their
gold prize.
We made this sake together.
I'm so happy we won this prize.
Thank you all so much.
If you treat the youngsters badly,
it's you who suffers in the end.
I say to the boss -
"I'm on their side! Not on your side".
It's thanks to them that I can do it.
Mr. Sakaguchi's son, Mamoru.
He is training at his father's brewery.
Do you want to succeed your father
as a toji master?
No way!
It's impossible.
Working as a brewer is fine,
but as a master,
everyone's livelihood depends on you.
The job shouldn't be taken on lightly.
Even 10 or 20 year veteran brewers
don't want to do it.
I've only done it for 5 or 6 years.
So, you know,
no way.
I've seen what it's like,
so I can't take it on.
Being so close, he can see
how hard it is.
Over there.
A bit more.
This one sounds good!
Put it down there.
Ah, it's cracked.
Who do you think should succeed you?
Honestly, I think my son should.
I don't know if he wants to, though!
He's a quick learner,
so he'd be fine.
There are many difficult sides
to this job.
Fathers and sons fight each other
sometimes, and other things too!
Two of my gastric ulcers burst.
One of them turned out to be cancer.
Mr. Sakaguchi has collapsed in the
brewery three times already.
His first words to me were
"I'm gonna die, son."
An ambulance came, and when
they were ready to go,
someone from the company
told me to go with him.
But my dad told me to
get back to work,
and I was left behind.
I'll probably end up dying on the job.
The doctor told me I should quit
before that happens.
I said to him,
"Nobody will let me quit!"
He said, "If you listen to them,
you'll die before they do!"
Whether you live long, or live short,
you should do what you enjoy.
That's what I think.
People have to live off this land.
The farmland, the greenery.
We have always protected it.
We've been here since the age of gods,
and we still keep the same culture.
Even now, sake brewers are still
protecting this land.
Brewing sake connects the land
to the future.
We used to write a lot of letters.
This takes me back.
It's nice to do sometimes, you know?
Reading your early love-letters!
Let's see.
He used to write back straight away.
Charisma in Love
"When I read your letter today,"
"my heart became full of
light and joy."
"My darling wife, Toyoko,"
"I promise you happiness.
Ever yours, Shokichi."
Love letters from Shokichi Hase,
one of the Four Sake Kings,
to his wife, Toyoko,
the guardian of their home.
They were childhood friends,
and often played together in the sea.
With the support of Toyoko, and after
many years of training,
Mr. Hase reached the level of
Top Master Brewer.
Mr. Noguchi was his classmate,
and longtime rival.
My husband would say,
"Mr. Noguchi has a lot of fans..."
"...so he has to brew sake
until he dies".
and I thought,
"What? Until he dies!?"
Mr. Noguchi is so passionate about
brewing, so I wasn't surprised...
that he made a come back.
He just can't give it up.
"Brewing sake until he dies" -
In the end, those words...
predicted his own fate.
He gave his life to sake brewing.
He died at the age of 77.
Three months is a long time,
but it passed so quickly.
After that, he and Toyoko parted...
for eternity.
What legacy has this romantic,
charismatic man left behind?
"Brewer Shokichi Hase Memorial"
It was amazing!
If he'd never been a master brewer,
not many people would have come.
Probably.
I don't have to worry about anything.
He took care of that.
You know, about money,
or the future - anything like that.
There you go.
At the brewery in Shizuoka prefecture
where Mr. Hase used to work,
Minori Shinba was chosen to
take his place as master brewer.
He has taken on the large responsibility
of recreating the taste of
his master's sake.
Offering to a Great Master
The word "successor" will be
added after Hase's name on the label,
meaning it was produced
by Hase's apprentice.
It's hard to find the words.
Mr. Hase was...
Ummm...
Just a minute.
Well, you know, he was my master.
He used to say, "Shinba, never give in!"
But he never explained
what I shouldn't give in to!
I still don't know.
He always respected
the pride of the brewers,
and their attitude towards the job.
He always nurtured their pride, I think.
- Thank you for having us.
- You're welcome.
Could you get the door for me?
Nomikiri is a ceremony...
to taste sake that has matured
over the summer.
Mr. Hase used to perform it every year.
Even now,
in the presence of his master,
Mr. Shinba tests the quality of the
sake he has brewed himself.
I get nervous when you taste it,
Mrs. Hase!
I hope they catch something good!
It's coming.
Take it! Take it!
Ow! Ow!
I caught an octopus!
That hurts!
Wow!
Like that?
Yeah, I'm rubbing salt into it.
Oh, I see.
Can I take a photo?
Here you go.
- Octopuses eat their own legs, you know?
- Ah, that's right.
You see?
They eat this bit too?
No, it can't eat its own head!
- Of course not!
- They just eat their own legs.
She's amazing!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
There aren't enough legs for everyone!
I think of them as family,
like my sons and grandsons.
You know, they come to visit me
once a year.
Wow!
- Is it raw, or boiled?
- I boiled it.
Help yourselves.
You're quick!
It's delicious!
It tastes wild.
It's really good.
Thank you for cleaning the grave!
Look, there's a frog.
He loved frogs.
I know he loved cats.
He's pleased that you've come to
pay your respects.
Master, please look kindly on me.
I will always be following
in his footsteps.
That's a bit difficult at the moment.
The two top-class brewers trained
under all the Sake Kings,
Mr. Sakaguchi and Osamu Ie.
Mister Perfect
Mr. Ie,
what drives you to brew sake?
Being married to my wife!
I told my parents I couldn't leave
the brewery, even for a funeral.
My mother died in December,
so I couldn't go.
My wife did everything, and went to
the funeral in my place.
I left everything to her,
because I trust her!
I guess the wives of brewers have always
done the same.
No matter what happens,
you just have to deal with them
one by one the best you can.
They say being a master brewer
is not a job, it's a calling.
I think that's true.
Brewing sake is fun!
It's really fun!
The philosophy of sake brewing is -
"Harmonious brewing makes good sake".
This is a teaching of
his predecessor, Mr.Tempo.
Harmonious brewing
makes good sake
The harmony of the brewers
produces good sake.
It's part of your job!
Yeah and I thought, "Why am I here?
I've never felt this cold in my life!"
How old were you?
I was 50!
I sent you some sake.
What do you think of this year's sake?
The rice was washed well,
and the koji was decent.
It has such a smooth taste.
Five seconds more.
If you please.
Some say that Mr. Ie's ability
excels even that of...
the Sake Kings of Noto.
This talent showed itself early on
in his career.
I was invited to taste some sake
by my master.
I could tell the subtle differences,
so maybe I did have talent.
His senses were praised
by the chief brewers,
but in his youth,
he made some mistakes.
Just before New Years,
I went to the barbershop.
When I got back, Mr. Noguchi was angry
for some reason.
I apologized, and decided not to leave
the brewery, no matter what.
So then I studied under Mr. Noguchi
24 hours a day.
Brewing sake is just like
raising a child for me.
Looking at these encourages me to
do my best.
Brewing sake takes half a year,
and it's good to switch back to
normal life.
If I had to do this all year round,
I'd be having second thoughts!
"Noto Brewers Guild"
The Noto Toji Guild holds a
Ginjo-shu seminar every year.
The speaker this year is
a master brewer...
who commutes to the brewery,
and brews sake all year round.
Thank you for
letting me speak today.
Facing the Times
Honestly, I don't care if the rice is
broken or not.
My only concern is the weight,
so I don't care if the grain is
broken or not.
As long as it's milled down
to under 60%,
I can make highly refined
sake (Daiginjo-shu).
The techniques of the craftsman
and the needs of the company...
are often at odds with each other.
We produce koji by machine,
so we never check the taste or aroma.
We created this process so that
anyone could do it.
You need to build a system that any
employee can use.
If you don't, your brewery will
probably go bust in the end.
If you need to train for 10 or 20 years
before you can make koji,
it's very difficult for youngsters to
gain the skills.
I'd like to ask
if anything changes when...
you start commuting to work
instead of living in the brewery.
Let me ask you this. When a veteran
brewer is training youngsters,
what's the best way to hand down
those techniques?
That's what I'd like to know.
In these changing times,
what techniques should be taught to
the next generation?
What is the best way to connect
tradition with the future?
A top class brewer who continues
to reign at the top in Noto,
Yukio Sakaguchi.
The Eternal Challenger
After leaving junior high school,
he began his training, with the
position of dishwasher.
It was really tough in those days.
50 years after entering the brewery,
he had an accident, and lost
the fingertips of his left hand.
Even after that,
he never thought of quitting.
Meeting his master, Shokichi Hase,
was a turning point in his life.
I learned so much from Mr. Hase.
"If you do this, then that will happen,
and so on.
It's all thanks to Mr. Hase.
Toru Minamoto is a brewer
at the brewery where Mr. Hase works.
He is in charge of the ordinary sake.
His ambition is to brew high-grade
sake, like his master.
Aspiring to get into brewing,
he worked as a sake salesman.
Then Mr. Sakaguchi took him
under his wing.
My master can tell the condition
just by looking once or twice.
But it takes me at least ten times
before I can even guess.
"Brewer Break Room"
It wasn't changing much.
It went down to "7" in the end,
on the sixth time.
He said he was having problems,
so I told him a better way to do it.
He took me in, and brought me up.
Repaying his master's kindness
by brewing sake.
When I started, I thought it would take
me ten years...
before I could say, "I'll try and make
my own sake now".
I'm still nowhere near.
If you can't make refined sake,
you can't make it as a craftsman.
I'm panicking a little!
Some goals are unreachable, no matter
how hard you try.
Perhaps most goals are like that.
But never give up.
Take another step forward.
Only the chosen can survive...
the world of the toji.
This is good sake.
Here.
It's good sake.
It is New Years at the brewery.
Thank you.
"Don't panic".
"Let other people take care of
everything".
You know, harmony for everyone.
The brewers, their safety.
That comes first!
He prayed for the safety of the
brewers, not for his own health.
It's time to brew Daiginjo-shu,
the brewery's flagship refined sake.
The highest-grade "Yamada Nishiki"
rice is used.
The first stage, washing the rice,
is the most important for the master.
Everyone is nervous.
Three minutes?
Yeah, three minutes is enough.
Ten seconds!
5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
Okay.
Five seconds!
3, 2, 1...
- Okay.
- Ten seconds!
It seems that the moisture level was
a little too low.
Next up is his son, Mamoru.
This is his second year of making koji.
The temperature of the rice...
must rise to a certain level within a
certain amount of time.
Success or failure is decided by the
delicate movement of the mold.
It's invisible, so you never know
what's happening.
I hope it's done soon...
The master has put up a plastic sheet
to keep them warm.
I'm so tired. I can't even smile.
He gets angry.
He's so stubborn, too.
Even when he's wrong.
I just have to do what he says.
I'm going to stick with him...
right to the end.
After 48 hours,
it seems the koji is ready.
It smells good.
Okay!
It looks good.
That should be enough.
It's only my second year,
but it looks okay to me.
I never even dreamed
he would do this much.
I want to pat him on the back.
"Yeast Starter Room"
The next stage is making
the yeast starter.
The koji rice that Mamoru made...
will be mixed with yeast.
Two different fungi work together
in the same barrel...
to brew sake.
The mystical process has started.
Only the gods know what kind of sake
it will become.
The morning of the 14th day.
The yeast starter is ready,
with a high concentration of yeast cells.
They add some more
to increase the quantity.
Two days later, the amount is
increased once more.
After this process...
The toji and the fermenting mash
will battle in single combat.
For around one month, there is
no rest for the toji.
After the batch making is done,
I feel like I'm at one with the sake.
Smells good.
Progress reports.
The red numbers show the target level.
The fermentation is proceeding
almost exactly on target.
It's alright so far.
They deal face to face
with the sake all day,
looking forward to the pressing.
Well,
How shall I put it?
I'm aiming for my own special sake.
In other words...
I want people to say
"His sake is like this".
That's all.
Another 25 days have passed.
The master has done everything
he had to do.
At last, the scheduled day of
pressing has arrived.
There is alcohol, but it's
not quite done.
The meter's showing "2", so it'll take
another four days.
Four or five days!
The fermentation is incomplete,
so it cannot be pressed yet.
I think maybe there's a bit
too much flavor,
so I'm going to add some water
to lighten it.
Only she herself knows
when she'll be ready.
Hopefully I should know by tomorrow.
My head hurts!
Has the mash turned out as he hoped?
It's getting better, but I need to
add more water.
His strategy has fallen short.
Could it be because of the weather?
No, not the weather.
It's usually on schedule,
but not this time!
There seems to be nothing else
he can do.
What is it about sake that drives the
master to these lengths?
It's my dream.
Doing it this way or that way,
it's because I have a vision.
That's all.
But the master's words sound empty...
as the fermenting mash refuses to obey.
The taste may turn out differently
from what he was aiming for.
The next morning, the master called us.
Today, that one and this one,
they're all working!
Maybe it was the weather after all.
Miraculously, the fermenting mash which
refused to obey, suddenly started working!
Master, why did that happen?
I chose the wrong yeast.
The wrong yeast.
Brewing sake means dealing with the
mystical realm of fungi.
That almost killed me!
Look, I've lost weight.
The brewers of Noto give their passion
to one cup of sake.
That passion comes from their
ancestors' love for the earth.
The bountiful earth
embraces our lives.
And this cycle will continue...
far, far into the future.
It's my dream.
Cast
KOICHI SANBAI
NAOHIKO NOGUCHI
SHOKICHI HASE
SABURO NAKA
SHOICHI TEMPO
TSUNEMASA NAKAKURA
YUKIO SAKAGUCHI
OSAMU IE
KENJI OKADA
KIICHI HAKUTO
AKIKO HAKUTO
MINORI SHINBA
AKIKO FUJITA
TORU MINAMOTO
TOMOHIRO UCHIYAMA
Filming Support
Association of Noto Toji
Association of Housu Sake Brewers
Narration
TOMOE SHINOHARA
Producers
KAORI ISHII
RIKA SAIGO
Cinematographer
TAKEHIKO TAMIYA
Recordist
MANABU OTSUKA
Editor
MASANARI KAZUYOSHI
Music
KENSAKU TANIKAWA
Piano
KENSAKU TANIKAWA
Trumpet
MASAHIRO MAKIHARA
Horn
ERINA MATSUSHIMA
Trombone
TOMOKI MITSUKA
Tuba
ATSUSHI MATSUNAGA
Soprano saxophone
MAHORO IWASA
Bass
HIROAKI MIZUTANI
Percussion
KIKUKO YASUI
Marimba
YUKAPON
Sound Engineer
ICHIROPREMIER ENGINEERING INC.
Assistant sound engineer
Asuka Sudo (PREMIER Engineering Inc. )
Recording Studio
STUDIO DEDE
Mastering Studio
ICHIRO ROOM
Cosponsors
THE HOKKOKU BANK. LTD.
THE HOKURIKU BANK., LTD.
KONO SHINKIN BANK
THE NOTO KYOUEI SHINKIN BANK
Suzushi Japan Agricultural Cooperatives
Uchiuramachi Japan Agricultural
Cooperatives Kagaya Hotels. Co. Ltd
Kyodo Giken Chemical Co.,Ltd.
Cooperation
Suzu City
Wajima City
Noto Town
Anamizu Town
Association of Noto Toji
Association of Housu Sake Brewers
Housu Liquor Merchants Association
The Suzu Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Wajima Chamber of Commerce and
Industry
The Monzen Town Commercial and Industrial
Association The Noto-Town Commercial and
Industrial Association The Anamizu-Town
Commercial and Industrial Association Noto
Peninsula Tourism Association
Post Production Cooperation
EIKO Co., Ltd.
Special Cooperation
HOKKOKU SHIMBUN Inc.
Ei-Publishing Co., Ltd.
Sponsored by
Ishikawa Prefecture
Supported by the Agency for Cultural
Affairs, Government of Japan
Produced by
Ikkon Film Partners
GULI Creates Inc.
Distribution
GULI Creates Inc.
Special thanks to
Association of Noto Toji
Nomi Tomo Supporters
Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries
Director
KAORI ISHII
Translation Advisor
REBEKAH WILSON-LYE
AURA Co., Ltd.
Milleon Inc.