Women in the Sake World: Five Female Professionals Share Candid Insights (2-3)

I work in a liquor store, and I often encounter what you might call "mansplaining" from male customers in their 40s and 50s. They either assume that "young women can't possibly know much about sake" or act as if they know more than I do.

When I was working at a restaurant, someone asked me, "Do you really drink sake every day?"

There are still many people who have the stereotype that "women can't drink sake." Once, I went to a restaurant as a customer and asked, "What kind of sake do you have?" The staff replied, "You probably wouldn't understand even if I told you." I thought to myself, "I’m never coming back here!"

What makes me feel the most uncomfortable is how people assume it’s acceptable to invite me out for a drink just because I’ve mentioned that I like sake. It’s surprising how often people I’ve never met—or even those with anonymous social media accounts—say things like, “If you like sake, let’s grab a drink sometime.” Even when it comes to people of the same gender, I find it hard to casually invite someone out unless we’re already on friendly terms.

I think this happens a lot to women who like sake and are active on social media. When I post something like, “I’ll be in that area next time,” I often get direct messages from anonymous users saying, “Let’s go to this restaurant together.” It feels odd how they assume it’s okay to close the distance so abruptly. I can’t help but wonder—would they do the same if I were a man?

I feel like I’m being disrespected a little.

The sake-loving community is quite small, and you often see the same people at events, so it’s easy for some to assume they already know you. In rural areas, sexual harassment from industry professionals is still a problem. There are people who will suddenly ask your age or even press you with questions like, “Why aren’t you married?”

Since new sake production licenses are no longer issued, the only remaining breweries are those with centuries of tradition. This might mean that not only the good customs but also outdated or problematic ones continue to be passed down.

Many sake breweries handle their design and promotion internally instead of outsourcing to professionals or external companies. I think this is because they are often community-based or family-run, which limits outside perspectives and makes it harder for them to stay updated with new trends or information.

This is especially common among the younger generation, but there are people who try to market themselves by emphasizing their femininity.

Being beautiful is a wonderful thing, and I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with using it as a strength. But if you don’t also showcase your knowledge and skills, people might dismiss you as “pretty but superficial,” which ultimately diminishes your own value.

Sometimes I catch myself wondering, “Am I trying to sell my femininity?” On social media, posts that include photos of the poster tend to get more engagement. I include my own photo in posts I really want people to notice, but it leaves me feeling conflicted—like I’m getting swept up in a trend that doesn’t sit well with me.

I’m in my 20s, and there are a lot of women my age who feel the same way. On social media, they’ll make their own faces the focal point instead of the sake labels, and they’ll get tons of comments about how cute they are. I post pictures of myself too, but I don’t want people to think that’s all I’m about. So, I try to focus on the sake itself and make my posts stand out with detailed and passionate descriptions.

That said, I’ve actually been offered work because I’m a young woman. It’s true that in industries where women are a minority, gender can sometimes be an advantage. But if you rely on it too heavily, it can become a double-edged sword.

I don’t see myself as an idol, so when someone asks if I have a boyfriend, I just answer, “Yes, I do!” But then they respond with something like, “I’ve lost the will to support you,” and it surprises me. These days, there are idols who don’t restrict their love lives, but I feel like there’s still a lingering “purity culture” at play.

When I announced that I was getting married, I lost a few dozen followers.

I lost about 30 followers as well.

But I think it’s a good thing that the people who were only following you for romantic reasons are gone. The ones who appreciate your other qualities are the ones who stay.

Honestly, I feel relieved that those followers were filtered out.

Same here. Besides, even if you have a few thousand followers, only a small portion actually leave.

I wouldn’t be able to take on jobs that require drinking alcohol. I think tasting without swallowing would be fine, though. There are even people working at sake breweries who don’t like alcohol and just spit it out after tasting.

I went through pregnancy and childbirth, and during that time, I did tastings without swallowing. But I have to admit, I felt a little frustrated because the smoothness of the sake as it goes down your throat and the lingering aroma after swallowing are also important. I kept wondering, “Am I really evaluating this properly?”

Incidentally, I only announced the safe delivery of my baby after the fact, but I was a bit worried that people looking at my social media might misunderstand and think, “Didn’t she drink alcohol while she was pregnant?”

I think experiences like that, which are unique to women, can be reframed as positives. For instance, the brewer of Daikoku Masamune (by Yasufuku Matashiro Shoten in Hyogo Prefecture) created genmai-ryokucha (green tea made with brown rice) because she wanted a drink to pair with meals while she was pregnant and couldn’t drink sake?

Also, I didn’t lose my job at all because of pregnancy or childbirth. I’d like to reassure anyone who’s worried about that—you really don’t need to be.

Speaking of marriage, there’s a rule that only unmarried women can apply for Miss SAKE (*1). I know a few girls who said things like, “I asked my boyfriend to wait a year before we got married so I could try for Miss SAKE.”

But honestly, whether you’re married or not, you can still promote sake, right? Last year, the same organization introduced Mrs SAKE for married women, but for some reason, there was an entry fee involved, and that didn’t sit well with me.

Miss SAKE is essentially a beauty pageant modeled after Miss Universe (*2). I think it’s just a continuation of that format.

There are quite a few people who joined Miss SAKE because they felt Miss Universe was too challenging to enter. Miss Universe has a height requirement, but Miss SAKE doesn’t, which makes it more approachable.

I applied for Miss SAKE without knowing much about it, simply because I love sake. When I participated, I was shocked to discover that about half the attendees had never even tasted sake before. What surprised me even more was the organizers’ attitude of, “Some men don’t like it when women know too much, so it’s fine if they don’t.”

I feel like there aren’t many clear criteria emphasized as a sake contest. As ambassadors, contestants become deeply involved with the sake industry, but this often leads to contradictions and criticism. I feel bad for those who participate simply because they genuinely love sake.

A lot of people still associate these contests with the image of pretty girls in kimonos standing at events. It’s not the nicest way to put it, but they end up being like pandas used to attract customers. And since sake has a tradition where women pour for men, it often feels like they’re treated as party hostesses. I don’t think the combination of beauty pageants and sake works well.

The original idea might have been to promote women, but the target audience seems to have become men. When I was working in a restaurant, most of the customers at the counter were men, and no matter how enthusiastically we recommended pairings of drinks and food, they would just brush us off with comments like, “I don’t care, just give me something quick.” It felt like they were treating the experience the same way they would at a girls’ bar (*3).

There are also many breweries that accept only women working as ambassadors. I once recommended a man for a position at a brewery that had asked for advice, but they told me they were only looking for women.

Have there been any examples where promotions highlighting women actually succeeded in reaching out to women and developing new markets? If the goal is to increase the number of female participants, I think it would be better for initiatives like Miss SAKE and female ambassadors to serve as role models that women aspire to, rather than focusing on activities that cater to what men might enjoy.

Recently, there is the Japan Women's SAKE Award judged exclusively by women, but that brings up the question, “Why are men excluded?” If you emphasize femininity too much, you risk creating a structure that feels adversarial toward men.

That reminds me of a female toji (brewmaster) I knew who worked tirelessly, saying, “I’m a woman, but that doesn’t matter.” Unfortunately, men in the industry viewed her as an enemy, criticizing her for being “too strong-willed for a woman.” She eventually found it difficult to continue working in the industry. If you push too hard to prove that “gender doesn’t matter,” you can end up crushed, and if you lean too far into emphasizing femininity, things can take a distorted turn. I really hope more people can approach gender issues in a balanced and open way.

Rather than focusing on making myself stand out, I want to properly convey the deliciousness of sake and the unique stories behind the breweries. I also feel that there aren’t many women outside of brewery-related roles who continue to work in the sake industry after experiencing pregnancy and childbirth. I’d like to use my perspective to share insights and inspire others.

From the beginning, I’ve been working with the aim of encouraging young people, regardless of gender, to develop an appreciation for sake. That’s why I often feel like, “Why are you emphasizing femininity?” or “Why can’t men do this?” Moving forward, I want to continue creating initiatives that are fun and engaging for the younger generation, without being constrained by gender.

I want to gradually push for change in my immediate surroundings to help increase the ratio of women in the industry. Recently, I started working at a sake brewery, and while reading the first article, I found myself wondering, “Did the women’s restroom have a small bin for sanitary pads?” My goal is to first create a more comfortable and welcoming environment for women here.

I feel there are many ways in which being a woman has worked to my advantage. While I recognize this, I also understand that emphasizing femininity too much can have a negative impact on other women. For that reason, I want to focus on what people truly value about my work, without making my gender the core of my identity.

I’m usually able to work without being overly conscious of the fact that I’m a woman. I think the presence of people who can work naturally with sake in this way might have a positive influence on the industry. I’ll continue doing my best and hope that everyone can embrace their own individuality rather than being confined to notions of femininity.