Women in the Sake World: Craft Beer, American Sake - Learn about the global fermentation industry (3-3)

The image of a female toji (master brewer) defying the odds in a male-dominated industry or sake crafted specifically for women who don’t typically enjoy alcohol often emerges in discussions about “sake and women.” While these narratives aim to spotlight underrepresented voices, they can sometimes feel oversimplified, especially in today’s world where addressing the gender gap demands a more nuanced approach.

When will it no longer be a novelty for women to brew sake or to enjoy it as consumers? To unpack this question, SAKE Street has dedicated a special series to the theme of “Women in the Sake World”

In the first article, we analyzed the experiences of women working in sake production, highlighting workplace challenges and exploring pathways to change. The second article expanded the conversation with a roundtable discussion featuring women in non-production roles, shedding light on systemic barriers and envisioning a more inclusive industry.

Now, in this third and final installment, we broaden our perspective, looking at the intersection of gender and diversity in an increasingly globalized sake industry. First, we examine the wider fermentation sector through the lens of the Women’s Craft Fermentation Alliance (WCFA), an organization uniting female brewers from the craft beer world and beyond. Then, we turn to the stories of two trailblazing women: Noriko Kamei of Sequoia Sake in San Francisco and Chiaki Takahashi of Islander Sake in Hawaii. Both have successfully established sake breweries overseas, navigating unique cultural and industry challenges.

This feature, conceptualized and written by sake journalist Saki Kimura, seeks not only to explore the evolving role of women in sake but also to envision a future where diversity becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Considering “Craft Beer and Women”

The Women's Craft Fermentation Alliance (WCFA) was established in the United States in 2021. It brings together women from around the world who are passionate about fermentation, particularly focusing on craft beer brewing. The alliance hosts the annual Women’s International Beer Summit online.

What inspired the formation of WCFA, and what were the thoughts behind its creation? We spoke with Michele Wonder and Amanda Bruns, who are involved in the organization.

What is WCFA?

──WCFA was established as an alliance for women and underrepresented groups in the fermentation industry to connect and collaborate. Can you tell us about the circumstances behind its formation?

Michele: One of the founders, Melissa McCann, had been organizing a women-only homebrewing competition called the “Queen of Beer Homebrew Competition” for nearly 30 years. Through her extensive experience, she came to deeply appreciate the importance of creating a community led by women.

However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it became impossible to hold in-person events. That’s when she reached out to Jen McPoland, who runs a women’s beer festival called “SheBrew” in Portland, Oregon. Together, they decided to innovate by hosting the Women’s International Beer Summit online, creating a virtual space to unite brewers from around the world.

The summit was a resounding success, leaving many participants inspired and empowered by the shared sense of community. This groundbreaking event highlighted the immense potential of online communities, ultimately leading to the creation of WCFA as a nonprofit organization dedicated to continuing these efforts.

──Even outside of Japan, women are still in the minority in the brewing industry. How about in the U.S.? What percentage of craft beer brewers are women?

Amanda: Recent data indicates that only 23% of brewery owners are women, highlighting the ongoing gender disparity in the industry. While the numbers have gradually begun to recover, they have yet to return to pre-2021 levels.

In 2021, the #MeToo movement in North America shed light on widespread discrimination and harassment faced by women in the craft brewing industry, leading many to leave the field. While progress is being made, significant work remains to achieve true gender parity.

Why Are There So Few Female Brewers?

──In Japan, which is often seen as lagging behind in gender equality, women’s slow progress in the workforce is a well-known issue. I’m surprised that, even in the U.S., there are so few female brewers. What do you think are the reasons for this?

Michele: There are many reasons, so it’s hard to pinpoint just one, but discrimination against women certainly exists in the U.S. as well. My perception of gender roles in Japan is limited, but from what I understand, women working once they have established families is frowned upon in that culture, similarly many people in the U.S. still hold subconscious beliefs that “men and women each have their own roles.”

As a result, when women enter a male-dominated space, they’re often expected to “behave appropriately,” and it’s not uncommon for them to have unpleasant experiences. Many women feel it’s easier to avoid male-dominated industries altogether.

Let me ask you something. Didn’t women in Japan traditionally make sake? In the craft beer world, brewing was very much like cooking at home, where women brewed for their families and communities.

──You’re absolutely right. In Japan, women were traditionally responsible for brewing sake. But as the industry became more industrialized, with large breweries employing many workers, women were gradually excluded. There are several theories as to why, including the notion that women might cause sexual problems among male workers or that makeup could contaminate the sake.

Michele: Those reasons sound ridiculous. It’s probably the same old excuse about menstruation being a problem too, right?

Amanda: I have been a brewer too, but because I’m physically small, I sometimes ask for assistance lifting heavy objects. At a previous workplace, I was told, “If you need help, maybe you shouldn’t be working in a brewery.”

As I mentioned earlier, women make up about 30% of the industry, but not all of them are directly involved in the brewing process. Many women work in other roles at breweries, and they’re not present in production. I think the difficulty women face in entering the brewing floor is a significant issue.

Beyond the physical challenges, there are also cases where the workplace itself isn’t always welcoming to women. It took me a long time to convince my previous team to accept me. For women, finding a place where they can grow in the industry can be much harder than it is for men.

Changing the Perception that “Women Can Be Brewers Too”

──It seems the beer industry in the U.S. faces similar challenges to the sake industry in Japan. What do you think needs to be done to address these issues?

Michele: It’s important for women to understand that they can succeed. When they see women thriving in the brewing industry or winning awards at events like the World Beer Cup, they realize, “I can become a brewer too.” Whether it’s gender equality, queer folks, or racial issues, making these role models “visible” is crucial.

Oregon, where I live, is a great example of this. Many of the women who are now head brewers didn’t start by founding their own breweries. They had opportunities to rise through the ranks after being hired.

In the U.S., there’s a group for female brewers called Pink Boots Society. To become a member, you need to meet certain qualifications, but what’s fantastic is that they offer scholarships, providing financial support for women who might otherwise struggle to access resources.

The U.S. beer industry was once quite exclusive, but over the past 15 years, women have had more opportunities to receive brewing education. When you can say, “I’ve studied brewing and am qualified,” it makes a big difference when knocking on a brewery’s door.

Amanda: As Michele mentioned, in places like Portland, there’s an atmosphere where women follow in the footsteps of role models. It may take some time for results to show, but we’re seeing more women’s groups and festivals aimed at women.

Michele: The craft beer industry itself is in a bit of a slump right now. Today’s 20-somethings aren’t as interested in beer as previous generations were, so the industry is reflecting on that. For the historically underrepresented, this might be an opportunity to bring in fresh ideas.

A Community That Changes Lives

──What future plans does WCFA have?

Michele: We’ve held three summits so far, all of which have been incredible. Now, we’re ready to take the next step. First, we need to convey that there are roles in the craft beer world beyond being a brewer. Breweries can’t thrive without people in sales, marketing, and other roles. By sharing this message, we can help more women find places in the industry where they can utilize their skills.

We’ve also recently started a women’s homebrewing community called the “Evergreen Brewing Initiative.” Beer can be brewed in your kitchen, and many of the craft beer breweries in the U.S. started with homebrewing. While brewing schools are becoming more common, we believe homebrewing is essential for maintaining diversity.

Amanda: I was the only female brewer in my area, so it was a shock to meet other women through the summit. Even though I knew there were other women in the industry, I didn’t know how to connect with them. That’s why I begged Michele and the others to let me be involved in running WCFA.

I now run my own beverage consulting firm, but honestly, I’m not sure I would’ve stayed in the beer industry if I hadn’t discovered the summit. Sometimes, a simple thought like, “Maybe I’ll check out this women’s summit,” can end up changing your life, just like it did for me.

I think WCFA’s role is to let people know how many others out there love beer and brewing. Most of us could make more money doing other jobs, but we’re here because we love beer and believe in it. That shared passion and empathy are crucial for women to continue thriving in brewing.

──Hearing about how you encourage and motivate each other makes it clear why this kind of community is so important for women’s organizations. Thank you very much.

Note: At the time of the English version's release, the WCFA and the Evergreen Brewing Initiative had suspended its activities (as of March 2025).

Japanese Women Who Founded Sake Breweries in the U.S.

As sake culture spreads worldwide, more people are starting their own sake breweries. Among them, there are Japanese women who have done something nearly impossible in Japan, where new sake brewing licenses are no longer issued: starting their own sake breweries.

Noriko Kamei and her husband Jake established Sequoia Sake Company in San Francisco, California, in 2015. Chiaki Takahashi, who previously worked in pharmaceutical research and at the National Research Institute of Brewing in Japan, opened Islander Sake Brewery in Hawaii in 2020.

What kind of struggles and joys come with brewing sake in a foreign country? We spoke with these two women who chose the path of sake brewing in the U.S.

Gender Perceptions in Japan and the U.S.

──Both of you are from Japan and had careers as an IT engineer and researcher before you began brewing sake in the U.S. Noriko, you worked in the IT industry for a long time, but did you also work for a Japanese company?

Noriko: After studying abroad in the U.S., I returned to Japan, graduated from university, and initially joined a Japanese company. However, this was before the Basic Law for a Gender-Equal Society (1999) was implemented, so I was only given tasks like serving tea and doing clerical work. It didn’t sit right with me, so I returned to the U.S. shortly after.

Chiaki: I became a researcher after my university years, but it was a time when people would say, “If a girl goes to graduate school, she won’t be able to find a job.” When I got pregnant, my workplace told me to have an abortion. Looking back now, that was a huge problem.

──That’s intense. How do you perceive the differences in gender perspectives between Japan and the U.S.?

Chiaki: Before coming to the U.S. five years ago, I thought it was a more progressive country with less gender discrimination, but I’ve found that being in a minority position here is still difficult. Especially for immigrants, there are people who look at you with a critical eye.

Noriko: I think it depends on the region. In San Francisco, where I live, there’s a strong awareness of minority rights, and I’ve never personally felt discriminated against based on my gender or race.

Chiaki: The U.S. is made up of 50 states, so the licensing and alcohol regulations for starting a brewery vary by location. It’s like dealing with 50 different countries.

Noriko: On the other hand, San Francisco sometimes overcompensates by trying too hard to elevate women. There’s this trend where people automatically vote for minority women in elections, and sometimes I wonder if that’s really equality.

When I’m interviewed by the media, they often try to steer the narrative towards “an Asian woman persevering through adversity in a male-dominated brewing industry,” but I usually say, “That’s not the case,” which may not be what they want to hear.

Chiaki: If I were the one being interviewed, maybe I’d tell them exactly what they wanted to hear (laughs). But seriously, I think it’s important to embrace being Asian, being Japanese, and being a woman, and still feel like, “I want to make sake in the U.S. anyway.”

The Advantages of Designing Your Own Brewery

──In the first part of this series, we compiled survey results from 50 women who had worked in Japanese sake breweries. How does your own environment compare?

Noriko: In Japanese breweries, even if the employer doesn’t intentionally avoid hiring women, the traditional environment is often designed for men, which creates difficulties for women. I once helped out at a Japanese brewery, and they were washing rice in 15kg batches. I usually handle it in 10 kg batches, and it was really tough for me.

Chiaki: When carrying sake bags, my muscles get tired, and after lifting three or four bags, I can’t even manage to lift another. The men help out, so I feel bad about asking to be treated the same as them.

Noriko: In the U.S., there are a lot of big people, so there’s some equipment I just can’t handle. The connectors for some of the machines are so big that my hands can’t manage to disconnect them, and I have to ask for help from the men. That’s something that frustrates me.

The reality is that equipment for physical labor hasn’t been designed with women in mind, even in the U.S. But I think that as more women and people of diverse genders enter the industry, we’ll start to see machines and tools that are easier to use.

Chiaki: But many breweries are probably hesitant to change their long-established methods. Brewing is reliant on microorganisms, so you can’t always predict what will change the flavor. For example, if they switched from washing 15 kg batches of rice to 10 kg, they might worry that it would affect the flavor, so most people probably wouldn’t make that change.

Breweries often have been using the same recipe for decades, sometimes centuries. And if they’re not struggling to find male applicants, they may prefer to keep hiring men and maintain the status quo.

Noriko: But it’s not like the sake industry is overflowing with talent. If breweries created environments where talented women could thrive, I think it would be beneficial for both the breweries and the industry as a whole.

──For many breweries, it’s challenging to afford to create work environments tailored for women. By the way, since both of you have designed your own breweries, are there any specific accommodations you’ve made to suit your needs?

Chiaki: I use smaller tanks, sizing them so that I can handle them on my own. I also design my production setup so that I can manage it without additional help, especially during the steaming process.

Noriko: I ordered custom tanks from a Chinese manufacturer. My partners were saying, “It’s cheaper and more efficient to use 2,000-liter tanks,” but I explained to them that if we used 2,000-liter tanks, it would make it difficult for me to handle certain tasks. So, we went with smaller tanks.

──Since both of you design your own breweries, you can incorporate your opinions, and because you have fair partnerships, you’re able to assert your preferences.

Chiaki: In microbrewing, compact setups are safer and more manageable, especially when working with a small team. But if you worked at a Japanese brewery using 10,000-liter tanks, your work might be much more limited.

Observing the Situation of Japanese Women from the Outside

──In the second part of this series, we held a roundtable discussion with women working in the sake industry. Noriko, you gave birth in California—how was the maternity leave system there?

Noriko: Generally, women take about 12 weeks of maternity leave before and after childbirth, and then men take 12 weeks of paternity leave when they return to work after childbirth. Depending on pregnancy complications, women can take additional leave.

Reference: Maternity and Paternity Leave in California

──In Japan, women are entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave plus an additional year of childcare leave. It seems the leave period in the U.S. is shorter. Is that because nannies are more common there?

Noriko:  I lived in Japan for about 10 years for work in the 2000s, and honestly, I think things have improved a lot since I was there. With the recent improvements in childcare leave, I find it puzzling that women’s advancement in the workplace is still such a big issue. It might not be solely about discrimination; perhaps some women have simply given up.

But if you don’t fight for change, things will never improve. There are always inconsiderate people, whether they’re men or women, and they’ll say thoughtless things. By standing up and saying, “What you’re saying is wrong,” we can start to change people’s attitudes.

──Beyond gender, Japan’s prolonged economic downturn since the 1990s has caused younger generations to become more conservative and fearful of failure. That may be why so many people are unable to speak out about unfair treatment and end up internalizing their struggles.

Chiaki: I often hear Japanese women who come to Hawaii for solo travel say, “I have something I want to do, but I don’t have the courage to take on the challenge.” Maybe Noriko and I could collaborate on a product called “Woman’s Sake” (laughs). It could be a sake that empowers women, brewed by women who are taking on the challenge of sake brewing in the U.S.

Noriko: I’m not particularly interested in making a sake just for women (laughs), but if it helps Japanese women feel more hopeful and encouraged to take on challenges, I wouldn’t mind making it.

──In this series, we’ve discussed “sake made by women” versus “sake made by oneself.” What do you think about this distinction?

Chiaki: For example, terms like “man’s sake from Nada” or “woman’s sake from Fushimi” aren’t about who made the sake but are based on the image of the region’s water. So, I think the most important thing is the identity of the region where the sake is made.

Hawaii’s water is soft, so no matter what, it’s hard to achieve rough fermentation. When people tell me my sake is gentle, I jokingly say, “Of course it is—I’m gentle, so naturally my sake is too” (laughs).

Noriko: The region is definitely important, but even if Chiaki and I were brewing in the exact same environment, we’d still end up with totally different sake—that’s the mystery of fermentation. Sake is an image-driven product and a traditional craft, so it’s not just about taste. There’s a story behind it that makes people think, “This is delicious.” Some people may buy my sake simply because I’m a woman from Japan.

I’m thinking of retiring from sake brewing in about five years, but until then, I want to continue challenging myself to create the best sake I possibly can. I’m eager to take on new things and push my limits.

──If we reach a point where men, women, and people of all genders are equally represented in the sake industry, we might see the end of marketing based on gender. Hearing from two women who have ventured into sake brewing in the U.S., it’s clear that each of you has unique perspectives and experiences.

Conclusion: The Future of “Sake and Women”

Over the course of this three-part series, we’ve explored the theme of “Sake and Women.” In the first installment, we analyzed the challenges women face in sake production and why there are so few women involved in brewing. In the second, we revealed the discomforts women feel within the traditional industry. Finally, in this third installment, we considered the perspectives of women who have ventured outside of Japan’s sake industry.

The reason I, a female sake journalist, planned this series is that after observing the industry for over a decade, I felt the need to update the conversation around “Sake and Women.” Personally, I’ve never experienced harassment or been particularly conscious of my gender while working in the industry. Yet, I’ve never found a “women’s sake” that suited my taste, and I’ve always questioned why sake guilds don’t track the number of female toji.

However, as I began this research, I realized that gender is a far more delicate and complex topic than I initially thought. In total, we listened to the voices of 59 women for this series. Each of them faces their gender in slightly different ways, and trying to talk about “women” as a monolithic group risks erasing diversity and minority experiences. As Noriko Kamei from Sequoia Sake said in this final installment, it’s crucial not to let the media steer the narrative to what they want to hear.

The answer to the question I posed at the beginning—“When will it become normal for women to make sake or drink sake?”—might be that it will happen “when more women are involved in the sake industry.” For that to happen, certain changes need to take place.

Sake is a drink that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of who they are. We hope that this series contributes, even a little, to a future where everyone can embrace and love sake, without exclusion or limitations.

“Women in the Sake World”
Part1: Challenges that Breweries Need to Overcome in Order to Accept a Diverse Range of Workers

Part2: Five Female Professionals Share Candid Insights

Part3: Craft Beer, American Sake - Learn about the global fermentation industry