Knowledge transfer in the changing system of sake brewers

Associate Professor GOTO Masashi of the Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration (RIEB) is conducting research on the system of “tōji,” the traditional sake brewers, and the transmission of knowledge. At the same time, “traditional brewing,” including sake, has attracted attention as it was registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in December 2024. We asked Goto about the current state of the sake industry as revealed by his research to date, the prospects for future research, and his vision for the future of specialized jobs that are changing with the evolution of artificial intelligence.

The implications of the traditional system for today’s sake industry

Why did you decide to do research on the tōji system?

Goto: My original research theme was how specialized knowledge and skills are organized in society, with “expertise” as the key word. Since my main research deals with the present, I became interested in the tōji system for the perspective on the past and on tradition. In traditional industries, the specialized skills of craftspeople have been passed down from generation to generation, and the sake industry is a prime example of this. I began doing research on how knowledge succession has continued amidst the drastic changes in society and sensed the potential for hints for other industries and professions. Through my research, I  find it fascinating to explore the rich history and cultural diversity of different regions in Japan through the lens of sake brewing.

The tōji, the master brewer, is the person in charge of sake brewing, a tradition that has existed in many regions of Japan since the Edo period (1603-1868). Traditionally, the tōji usually worked in agriculture or fishing, and would enter a sake brewery as a migrant worker during the winter to make sake with the local brewers he brought with him, returning to his hometown in the spring to repeat the yearly cycle.

The environment surrounding sake has changed drastically, as the traditional migrant workers have been disappearing recently, and domestic consumption is declining. Under such circumstances, how to pass on the skills and knowledge of sake brewing has become a major issue in the sake industry. We have only just begun our research, but we are first conducting a survey of the actual situation in order to come up with theoretical suggestions regarding knowledge transfer and expertise.

How far have you progressed in your survey?

Goto: My area of expertise is organization theory, which is a field that studies organizations such as companies, so I am mainly doing research on tōji associations in various regions. Specifically, I am conducting interviews with them and with local governments. There are 18 tōji associations affiliated with the Japan Tōji Guild Association, and I have just completed interviews with 14 of these associations.

As a result, we found that there are several patterns in the origins and activities of the tōji associations scattered across the country. Considering the results of the survey, the 18 unions can be classified into about five types and so one of the initial findings is the hidden diversity withing the Tōji Guild Association.

There are traditional tōji groups in various parts of Japan. The oldest ones were already in existence during the Edo period and historical documents have survived. For example, the Tamba tōji and Tajima tōji of Hyogo Prefecture have long histories. Other well-known tōji groups include the Noto tōji in Ishikawa and the Nanbu tōji in Iwate, and the Echigo tōji in Niigata have maintained a certain scale. New associations were also created in various regions, mainly during the Meiji era (1868-1912) and the Taisho era (1912-1926). Laws concerning union organization were established during the Meiji era, and by the beginning of the 20th century, groups in various regions were established as tōji unions.

The various types of tōji unions

What types of unions are there throughout Japan?

Goto: The first type is taking the direction of opening up the organization by recruiting members from all over the country rather than from a specific region. Originally, it was a group of local people, but as the number of migrant workers decreased and became is difficult to maintain the size of the group, in order to preserve the tradition, interested people from all over the country became invited to participate in the training, while the union is responsible for certifying their qualifications. The qualifications for taking the examination are based on the skills of the person, regardless of where they come from. In the past, tōji would go to different parts of Japan to work and expand their sake brewing skills, but in this type of organization, people from all over the country are invited to take training and exams to become tōji and return to their home regions to brew sake at their own breweries. This is a type of union that can be said to be close to the modern concept of a profession.

The second type of union is one that has been reborn as a system that integrates with local sake brewing companies to develop human resources for the benefit of local companies. It is a company-led cooperative that provides systematic training and networking opportunities for employees of companies in the prefecture, with support from the government. This type of union is seen as a success story, and there are examples of other regions and unions newly aiming in this direction.

The third type focuses on maintaining tradition within the framework of a tōji association. Today, more and more tōji and brewers in many regions are becoming employees and joining companies to make sake. As a result, many of these cooperatives are not as active as they once were, but they do function as a focal point for preserving the traditions that have taken root in the community.

The fourth pattern is common in unions that grew as tōji associations during the Meiji and Taisho eras, but they have not opened their doors to the public or integrated with companies, and their activities are shrinking.

Finally, the fifth pattern is that of new tōji associations that have been formed since the beginning of the Heisei era (1989-2019). In the past, tōji used to come to the area to make sake, but they are no longer able to come to the area to work, so local workers took up those jobs. Some examples are similar to the second pattern mentioned above, but they tend to be more focused on sharing knowledge and expanding their network, narrowing the scope of their activities compared to older associations.

Thus, the survey revealed the reality that there is diversity among tōji associations, each with a different direction and different concerns.

What direction will you take your research in the future?

Goto: First, we will continue to conduct interviews with a wider range of people. Currently, most of my research is based on the assumption that the tōji union will continue to exist, but some brewers, especially younger generations, may not see much value in them. Nowadays, people can connect and communicate with anyone on social media, so even if they don’t join a union, brewers can share the latest information with each other and engage in friendly competition. What is really needed for knowledge transfer may be a community of practice that goes beyond the certification and group training provided by unions and other organizations, and connects people with each other. We would like to look at the changes in the tōji unions from a variety of perspectives.

At the same time, we aim to examine them theoretically, particularly in comparison to similar systems in Europe. In Western Europe, after the dismantling of medieval craftspeople’s guilds, craft unions were formed in the 19th century to preserve the skills of traditional industries. However, these have since been reorganized into labor unions and industry associations. In Japan, traditional industries and their structures have remained intact, and it is now that we must reconsider the nature of these traditional structures. We hope to present an original Japanese perspective on organizational theory by taking advantage of this unique context.

Preserving tradition while continuing to change

What do you think can be said about the sake industry from a bird’s eye view as you continue your research?

Goto: Looking at the history of sake, sake brewing has been constantly changing and incorporating new techniques since before the Edo period. It is very difficult to define what stage of traditional brewing can be called traditional. I believe that continuing to change while at the same time carrying on unchanging traditions is a point of reference for companies in other industries when considering management over a long time horizon.

Recently, some companies have started using artificial intelligence (AI) in the sake brewing process. Leaving it to machines seems at first glance to be incompatible with traditional skills and craft values. In reality, however, it is natural to adopt new things as they come along, and in fact, I often hear the idea that if you can make something really good, it doesn’t matter so much what the technology. I think it is an interesting traditional industry.

Can sake spread around the world?

What do you think about the designation of traditional brewing, such as of Japanese sake, as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO?

Goto: I think the recognition as an intangible cultural heritage provides a strong boost for the sake industry. Now that its value is more easily seen and understood from overseas, I think it will lead to great opportunities if we use it well.

If I were to venture to raise a point of contention for the future, it would be to what extent we can move away from exports, which sell products, to the extent that we can promote the sake making process, culture, and other aspects of sake. For example, in the case of wine, each country, also outside of Europe, has its own unique wines. While winemaking traditions, techniques, and food culture are shared, slightly different local arrangements spread throughout the world, transcending national borders. Sake, too, is now mostly produced domestically, but like wine, I believe that a major fork in the road will be whether to spread traditional sake brewing and its surrounding culture, which is what has become a world heritage, to the rest of the world.

The age of AI: Crossing boundaries in the profession

You are also working on the theme of the future of the profession in the age of artificial intelligence, where the profession and cross-sector industries co-evolve. What is your research about?

Goto: Today’s professions are undergoing major changes due to technological innovations such as AI. In this research, I am studying how AI will bring about changes for lawyers, public accountants, tax accountants, and other major professions, based on case studies.

One of the changes we are particularly interested in is the entrepreneurialization of the professions. For example, an increasing number of lawyers are leaving the legal profession to start their own businesses or participate in startups. Why go to the trouble of starting a business even though they are qualified professionals? In the past, it would have been unthinkable, but an increasing number of lawyers, for example, are crossing over into legal tech and the corporate world in order to innovate their own work with AI and change inconveniences themselves. Similarly, there is a new breed of doctors aiming to change healthcare through technology by starting their own businesses. Many entrepreneurs from professional backgrounds are not business oriented by nature and need to overcome changing roles. Such entrepreneurs are very interesting because they are distinctive in terms of strategic behavior and identity.

What are the prospects for the near future in your research?

Goto: In terms of contemporary professions, I am interested in cross-sectional and international comparisons of professions. A bird’s eye view of the changes that new technologies such as AI have brought about will help us understand what laws of change are in place for the future of the professions. This leads to hints for how various professions can coexist with AI.

The “professions” are a system that has spread expertise throughout society by nurturing professionals with specialized knowledge and skills, maintaining their quality through qualifications and other means, and protecting them. However, as machines become capable of performing specialized tasks, the significance of their existence is being questioned. This is an area of research that is the subject of much international debate, and I would like to continue to disseminate this information overseas in conjunction with my research on tōji.

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