WOMEN IN SAKE PROJECT
MISSION
To celebrate women's achievements and contributions to the craft of Sake.
Background
Before I became a Sake Lover, I worked with the United Nations on Urban Policy, Gender Equality & Women's Rights, posted in Asia and Africa for a decade. The women I met were inspiring, full of struggles, joys, and wisdom, despite socio-economic barriers.
As I embarked on my Sake journey, I was excited to similarly meet a growing minority of great women doing creative work in various capacities in the Sake world. Often times, women's contributions are less recognized in many industries, including the Sake industry. (Women were actually 'banned' from Sake brewing for centuries until relatively recently, even though they were the first brewers). Now, things are different. Not to exclude men, but to acknowledge these inspiring women's contributions which may not be known enough.
With the hope of renewed gender awareness in Sake and Japanese society in general, and ultimately the spread of more Sake Love! (*All interviews were originally on Instagram at @sarika.sake)
コンセプト 背景
日本酒界で頑張ってる女性達をハイライト。特に小規模＆ブテイークな蔵や海外であまり知られてない様々なキャパシテイで頑張ってる女性達にフォーカス。彼女達の存在と歩んで来た道を知る事により、海外＆日本の女性達（＋男性）にもインスピレーション＆励みに。同時に日本酒への好奇心・興味を促して、日本酒全般のファンが増える願いも込めて。
筆者が国連時代にアフリカ（ケニア）＆アジア（ベトナム・タイ）で女性のエンパワメント・貧困撲滅等に携わっていた時にフィールドで数多くの無名だけれども、パワフルな女性達に出会った。様々な経済的・社会的バリアを克服しながら頑張っていて、彼女達に感動させられた。そして、今、日本酒好きが高じて、キャリア・シフトし、日本酒学講師として日本酒の世界を覗いてみたら、従来男性が主役だった日本酒の世界に、今はどんどん女性が活躍されていて、クリエイティブで素晴らしい仕事をされてる。それを見て、わくわく心が踊り、それを是非、出来れば世界にお伝えしたいと思った事がこのコンセプトの始まり。
個人的には、そういうインスパイアリングな方とお話できる事がとても嬉しく、そして世界＆日本の女性にとっても、励み・インスピレーションになると思うので是非やってみたいと思ったから。結果、日本酒ファンが世界に増れば嬉しい。そして勿論、頑張ってらっしゃる女性の為にもなる事ができれば嬉しい。（ニュートラルな立場で、金銭的な取引は一切なし。）
File #1: Fumiko Shintani
Toji - Master Brewer, Shintani Brewery, Yamaguchi
新谷文子氏・新谷酒造・杜氏（山口県）
File #2: Midori Okazaki
Toji - Master Brewer, Okazaki Brewery, Nagano
岡崎美都里氏・岡崎酒造・杜氏（長野県）
File #3: Simone Maynard "Sake Mistress"
Sake Promotion & Education, Australia
シモーヌ・メイナード氏・「酒ミストレス」（オーストラリア）
File #4: Maiko Tsuji
Toji - Master Brewer, Gozenshu (Tsuji Honten) Brewery, Okayama
辻麻衣子氏・辻本店・御前酒 蔵元 杜氏（岡山県）
File #5: Kuniko Fujita
"Madame Saké au Québec", Canada
藤田邦子氏「マダム・酒・オ・ケベック」（カナダ）
File #6: Rumiko Moriki
Managing Director & Former Toji (Master Brewer), Moriki Brewery, Mie
森喜るみ子氏・森喜酒造 専務（元・杜氏）（三重県）
File #7: Sachiko Miyagi
Sake Expert, Tippsy Sake (USA)
宮城幸子氏・テイプシー・サケ・日本酒エキスパート（米国）
File #8: Yuri Shiraso
Shiraso Brewery (Tochigi)
白相友梨氏・白相酒造（栃木県）
File #9: Kuniko Mukai
Toji - Master Brewer, Mukai Brewery (Kyoto)
向井久仁子氏・向井酒造・杜氏（京都府）
File #10: Pao Jumin
Sake Educator, Taiwan
日本酒学講師・包睿敏氏（台湾）
File #11: Erika Haigh
Director & Co-Owner, Moto London (UK) - London's first independent Sake bar
エリカ・ヘイグ氏・イギリス初の日本酒バー MOTO ディレクター兼共同オーナー
File #12: Monica Samuels, Sake Samurai
Director of Sake & Spirits, Vine Connections (USA)
モニカ・サミュエル氏「酒サムライ」ヴァイン・コネクション 日本酒 & スピリッツ・デイレクター（米国）
File #13: Rumiko Obata
Executive Vice President / 5th Generation Owner, Obata Brewery, Niigata
尾畑留美子氏・尾畑酒造・五代目蔵元（新潟）
File #14: Chizuko Niikawa-Helton, Sake Samurai
CEO, Sake Discoveries LLC & Okanban of Sake Caliente (USA)
新川智慈子氏「酒サムライ」叙任者・サケ・デイスカバリーズLLC 社長・サケカリエンテ お燗番（米国）
File #15: Mariko Léveillé
Deputy Toji (Deputy Master Brewer), Wakaze Brewery, France
マリコ・レヴェイエ氏・副杜氏・ワカゼ酒造（フランス）
File #16: Miho Fujita
President, Mioya Brewery, Ishikawa
御祖酒造・代表取締役・藤田美穂氏（石川県）
File #17: Marina Giordano
Sake Educator, USA
マリナ・ジョルダノ氏・日本酒啓蒙家・テレビデイレクター（米国）
File #18: Giulia Maglio
Sake Educator & Part Time Brewer, Italy
ジュリア・マリオ氏・日本酒エジュケーター・蔵人（イタリア）
Women-Led Sake Breweries & Companies
世界の女性エンパワーメント日本酒・リスト
Currently, this is a skeleton list, but I'll keep adding more and more to the listing and eventually categorize them better, so it will be easier for people to support these women-led businesses. Click on the name and it will take you to their respective websites.
PS: Loosely defining for this list, women-owned, women-led, as an institution that is ensuring gender equality / women in a leading role / decision-making role, not in a token or symbolic role.
(Meanwhile special thanks to many who took their time to send me suggestions! Including Melissa Mills, Sachiko Miyagi, Sawako Ruark, and more)
名前をクリックすると各サイトに飛びます。数々の素晴らしい女性がリードする日本酒ビジネスをもう少し探しやすくするように少しずつ整理して徐々に追加して行く試みです。：）
Women-Led Sake Breweries (Japan)
- Shintani Brewery, Yamaguchi (Woman Toji: Fumiko Shintani)
- Okazaki Brewery, Nagano (Woman Toji: Midori Okazaki)
- Shusen Kurano Brewery, Nagano (Woman Toji: Mariko Chino)
- Ozawa Brewery, Nagano (Woman Toji: Miyuki Ozawa)
- Takasawa Brewery, Nagano (Woman Toji: Kayoko Takasawa)
- Tsukiyoshino Brewery, Nagano (Woman Toji: Mami Wakabayashi)
- Otsuka Brewery, Nagano (Woman Toji: Kiyomi Otsuka)
- Kouten Brewery, Nagano (Woman Toji: Mie Oguchi)
- Gozenshu | Tsujihonten Brewery, Okayama (Woman Toji: Maiko Tsuji)
- Mukai Brewery, Kyoto (Woman Toji: Kuniko Mukai)
- Moriki Brewery, Mie (Woman Managing Director: Rumiko Moriki & Female Toji: Rie Toyomoto)
- Mioya Brewery, Ishikawa (Woman President: Miho Fujita)
- Shiraso Brewery, Tochigi (Woman President-Designate: Yuri Shiraso)
- Fukucho | Imada Brewery, Hiroshima (Woman President & Female Toji: Miho Imada)
- Shibata Brewery, Aichi (Woman Toji: Shizuka Ito)
- Hirota Brewery, Iwate (Woman Toji: Yumi Ono)
- Hasegawa Brewery, Niigata (Woman Toji: Yuko Hasegawa)
- Sato Brewery, Saitama (Woman Toji: Mariko Sato)
- Kinginka Brewery, Aichi (Woman Toji: Atsuko Sato & Woman President: Hiroko Sato)
- Sonnoh | Yamazaki Brewery, Aichi (Woman President: Yamazaki)
- Sawada Brewery, Aichi (Woman President: Kaoru Sawada)
- Tabata Brewery, Wakayama (Woman Toji: Satoko Hasegawa)
- Yachio Brewery, Yamaguchi (Woman Toji: Kumiko Ura)
- Asahi Brewery, Shimane (Woman Toji: Eriko Terada)
- Ichinomiya Brewery, Shimane (Woman Toji: Rika Asano)
- Nandaku Brewery, Hyogo (Woman Toji: Misa Kawaishi)
- Hirai Brewery, Shiga (Woman Toji & President: Hiroko Hirai)
- Watanabe Brewery, Gifu (Woman Toji: Asako Watanabe)
- Yoshida Brewery, Fukui (Woman Toji: Mako Yoshida & Woman President: Yukari Yoshida)
- Inaba Brewery, Ibaragi (Woman Toji & Woman President: Nobuko Inaba)
- Choshu Brewery, Yamaguchi (Woman Toji: Miki Fujioka)
- Haginishiki Brewery, Shizuoka (Woman Toji)
- Obata Brewery, Niigata (Woman President: Rumiko Obata)
- Keigetsu Brewery, Kochi
- Miwa Brewery, Gifu
- Nagai Brewery, Gunma (Woman Board Member: Matsumi Nagai)
Shochu Distilleries
Sake Breweries outside Japan
USA
- Sequoia Sake, San Francisco, California
- Nova Brewing Co., California (Woman Owned)
- Islander Sake Brewery, Hawaii (Woman President & Toji)
Canada
France
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Values:
We stand for gender and racial equality, diversity, honesty, and kindness.
Disclaimer: We can only work with people who share the same values. Thank you.
