As a sake writer, Seki Tomomi travels all over the country to conduct interviews. She previously worked as a sake brewer at Sanyo Sakai Brewery in Hyogo Prefecture for about five and a half years, and is a "jack-of-all-trades when it comes to sake," not only disseminating information through various media and social media, but also holding lectures and working on product development.

Although Seki has a strong presence in the sake industry, which has a strong image of being a "male-dominated world," she says that she originally started out as an "ordinary office lady" with no connection to the industry. What kind of transitions did she go through to get to where she is today? We spoke to her about it.

Discovering the appeal of sake through cooking at home

Seki says he first became interested in sake after moving to Tokyo from his hometown of Hokkaido and starting to live alone.

Mr Seki
"When I cook for myself, I think it's important to make a good stock if I want to make delicious food while keeping costs down as much as possible. I think the only thing that goes well with that kind of food is sake. It's not a dramatic story at all, is it? (laughs)
But sake, which had previously been just one of my options, became something special to me."

As his opportunities to drink sake increased, Seki-san naturally became interested in sake. He wanted to learn more about the types of rice used as raw materials and the characteristics of each sake brewery, so he started going to bars.

Mr Seki
"The owner taught me a lot of things, and I asked other customers who were there for recommendations. It was a great learning experience for me about sake, and a really fun time.
However, when a young woman was drinking alone, older men would sometimes buy her drinks without her permission or go on and on about irrelevant things that they boasted about. It made me feel like they weren't treating me as an equal adult, and it was very frustrating.
That's why I became even more determined to learn more about sake than anyone else!"

As Seki gradually deepened his knowledge of sake, he began participating in sake gatherings and hosting events himself. Through these activities, he had more opportunities to meet people in the industry and made connections with retailers and sake breweries.
Around that time, his mother in Hokkaido started a Japanese restaurant, and he helped her purchase sake, which further expanded his network of contacts.

Sake gave me a place to belong

Meanwhile, someone who noticed Seki's knowledge asked him to write an article about sake, and he began his career as a sake writer while also working as a company employee.
He also began disseminating information using Ameba Blog and Instagram, and has been posting regularly for about 10 years, and now has about 1.6 followers on social media.

Mr Seki
"At first, I just introduced the brands that I had tried and found to be delicious. From there, I started to get a positive response from sake lovers, and little by little, I began to feel like I wanted to create my own 'community'.
I myself live away from my family, and the people I meet through alcohol have had a huge impact on me. I thought that alcohol could be a medium through which people can connect with each other, and could transcend the barriers of age, gender, and other factors."

Seki then began working at a sake bar and a small restaurant, before eventually quitting his job and becoming independent as a freelance writer.
It certainly seems like he has turned his passion into a job through his own will and initiative, but Seki's own view is a little different.

Mr Seki
"I've never had a strong desire to do what I love as a job. I just did what was needed at the time, and before I knew it, it had become my job.
However, when I decided to become independent as a freelance writer, I decided that I couldn't do it half-heartedly.
I had no experience working in a publishing company or editorial production company, so I attended courses and study groups to improve my writing skills. Also, when I interviewed sake breweries, I thoroughly researched their history and changes."

Just listening to him talk, one is overwhelmed by his passion and the strength of his feelings, but Seki is not the type of person who can become absorbed in anything, and says that he has never been able to continue with anything other than sake.
This has to do with Seki's upbringing.

Mr Seki
"My parents divorced right before I graduated from high school, and my sister and I were taken in by my mother.
In order to support the family, I started working in January of my third year of high school. I wanted to send my younger sister to university, so my mother and I worked nonstop.
My mother and I lived together as a family of three, supporting each other, and it wasn't all hardship, but I don't think I ever really felt like I was living for myself."

The only time I felt like I had "time just for myself" in that kind of life was the time I spent at the bar at night.

Mr Seki
"Of course I love drinking, but I also enjoy meeting and talking with all kinds of people there.
I felt somewhat ashamed about having been working since I was a teenager, but with alcohol as a medium, I was able to talk to people of all backgrounds on an equal footing, and I found that to be very satisfying.
Even after I moved to Tokyo and was able to live for myself, there were many unpleasant things, but I enjoyed the time I spent studying sake, and I was able to stay in touch with the people I met there.
For me, sake is like a support in life. I think the reason I started sharing information about it was because I had a strong desire to give back, even if just a little, to sake, which has given me a place in my life."

The turning point triggered by the disaster

There is another story that symbolizes Seki's strong passion for sake. Not satisfied with just disseminating information as a writer and influencer, he started working as a sake brewer.

The trigger was the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake of 2018, which occurred while I was visiting my parents' home.
The electricity was cut off, and while drinking sake with his mother in a room lit only by candlelight, he resolved to "do what he really wanted to do."

Mr Seki
"Even back then, it was said that the job of a writer would one day be taken over by AI. So, in order to acquire a unique "weapon," I wanted to work at a sake brewery one day and experience the "reality" of sake brewing, which can only be understood on-site.
I also think that one of my strengths is that the people at the sake breweries I visited for interviews were very open and forthright. That's why I wanted to experience firsthand with the people there how hard it is to work with water, how cold it is, and how hard it is to do it early in the morning. But after the disaster, I was ready, and I felt that I needed to act now, not someday."

The week after the earthquake, I headed to Shiso City, Hyogo Prefecture, to report on the incident with determination in my heart.
Before participating in the event, I was drinking with Yuichi Tsubosaka (then Managing Director; now President) of Sanyo Sakai Brewery, which produces the brand "Banshu Ikkon," and when I told him, "I've decided to work at a sake brewery this season," he suggested, "Why don't you come work for us?"

Banshu Ikken

Mr Seki
"Tsubosaka-san may have just said it on the spur of the moment, but I took it seriously (laughs).
After returning to Tokyo, I thought about it carefully and decided that it would be the perfect choice, as it was one of the sake breweries I often visited for interviews.
So, when I officially told them that I wanted to work there, they immediately checked with the company. The sake brewery is busy in November and December and they were short-staffed, so I was allowed to help out as a part-timer to start with."

On November 8, 2018, just as the team was about to arrive at the site, an unexpected incident occurred: a fire broke out at Sanyo Sakai Brewery.
Seki received the news from an acquaintance and was shocked when he saw the news footage.

The fire at Sanyo Sakai Brewery

Mr Seki
"I felt like rushing over right away, but I didn't want to get in the way at a time when things were difficult, and I was overwhelmed with a variety of emotions.
However, when I told my mother about it on the phone, she scolded me, saying, "It's not you who's having a hard time!"
"Just contact them, and if they need help, go and help out even if it's just to tidy up. If you're in the way, come back right away," they told me, and my attitude suddenly changed."

When I called Managing Director Tsubosaka, he said, "It would be a great help if you could come."
The next day, they headed to the site and arrived at Sanyo Sakai Sake Brewery. While many things had burned down, only the boots prepared for Seki remained intact.

Mr Seki
"I felt like I was destined to work here. I felt like some great power was telling me, 'Do what you can.'
In reality, Mr. Tsubosaka and the other managers are causing trouble for both the staff and the people of the town, so all they can do is apologize and not even complain. I feel that just being able to be a receptacle for those feelings has given me a reason to exist as an outsider."

The damage caused by the fire was in the storage area, but it was an important storehouse that was built between the Meiji and Taisho periods.
Although there was no direct impact on production, Sanyo Sakai Brewery did not have a social media account at the time and was unable to disseminate information. As a result, negative posts were flying around on social media.

Mr Seki
"There were many voices of concern, but some people posted negative comments just after seeing the news about the fire, such as 'Sanyo Sakai Brewery is finished' and 'Banshu Ikkon is finished'.
This was extremely frustrating, so I used my account to continue to share detailed information about the damage and that there were no problems with production."

As a result, business partners not only in Japan but all over the world began to check Seki's posts. As correct information was spread, the negative comments gradually disappeared.

What I was able to do as an outsider

My work at the sake brewery started with a sudden upheaval.
That's why Seki was so fired up, but at first, things didn't go as he had hoped.

Mr Seki
"There was the chaos of the fire, and we watched our workplace burn right before our eyes, so it was inevitable that the atmosphere would be tense.
Some people didn't understand that I was taking pictures of the damage and the state of the storehouse to post on social media, and they sometimes said unkind things to me. It was an unfamiliar environment to begin with, so there were times when I hid and cried.
But as an outsider, it's inevitable that I would feel alienated. I thought, 'I feel like a war photographer.'"

On the other hand, he says that it was precisely because he was an outsider that he was able to contribute to the brewery.

Mr Seki
"Even if methods or rules are commonplace internally, they may appear inefficient from the outside. That's why I made it a point to speak up immediately about anything I noticed. Since I was given the opportunity to work, I wanted to be of some use, even if just a little.
But because he had what he wanted to say, he worked harder than anyone else. While brewing sake from morning till night, he also wrote letters of apology for the fire, came up with concepts for new products and designed labels.
There were times when I felt like giving up, but I persevered with the sole desire to not let my beloved brand, Banshu Ikkon, go bankrupt."

Gradually, the people at the brewery began to accept him, and what was originally planned as a two or three month stay ended up being a long five and a half years.
This is likely the result of Seki's strong passion for sake and his dedication to his work. During his time at the company, he was also involved in the development of new products.

Mr Seki
"After the fire, we began receiving a lot of support for Sanyo Sakai Brewery. We were very grateful for that, but a sake brewery shouldn't be in a position to rely on others for support; our mission is to make people happy with delicious sake.
So I wanted to deliver some positive news that would dispel the image (of the fire), and proposed developing a new product that would have an impact."

After much consideration, they decided on cider, a brewed alcoholic beverage made from fermented apples.
In fact, Seki had been interested in the potential of cider for some time, but when he first proposed it, he was met with opposition from Managing Director Tsubosaka.
When he visited the brewery, an acquaintance who had seen the exchange sent a cider tasting set to Sanyo Hai Brewery as a year-end gift.
Among them, there was a type that was less sweet and went well with meals, and Managing Director Tsubosaka was convinced that this would fit in with the philosophy of Banshu Ikkon. Development and inspections began.

First, they asked local farmers to secure the apples they needed, then established a brewing method and launched a crowdfunding campaign... and after two years, CIDRE RonRon was finally completed.

Mr Seki
"It's a drink that's as dear to me as my own child.
At the same time, I hope that "CIDRE RonRon" will shine stylishly and sparklingly, so that our main brand (Banshu Ikken) can continue to stand firm as a classic sake without being swayed by the trends of the times.
That way, the tarnished silver of Banshu Ikkon will stand out even more."

Of course, it's not just the stylish appearance that is important, but also the manufacturing process and taste.

Mr Seki
"We use sake yeast 'Kyokai No. 9,' so you can really taste the essence of 'Banshu Ikkon.'
Although it is a genuine brewed alcoholic beverage, it is low in alcohol, so I think it will be accepted by a wider range of people.
I hope this will be an opportunity for people to experience Japanese sake culture."

With colleagues from Sanyo Sakai Brewery and local musicians. Third from the left is Managing Director Yuichi Tsubosaka, and fourth is President Koichiro Tsubosaka (then, now chairman).

He also said that one of the ideas behind the development was "to create something that the local younger generation could be proud of."

Mr Seki
"Shiso is a town where many people move to the city to go to university, and the local young generation often say things like, 'Tokyo is great, isn't it?' or 'I envy the city.' But I love this town, and it makes me sad because there are so many good things about it that you can't find in the city.
So I thought that if a locally produced alcoholic beverage were to be consumed in fashionable settings around the world, people would surely feel a sense of pride.
I also hoped that I could convey to the people around me, even if only a little, that "it is possible to send out a message from anywhere." It was only because of the support from the local people during the fire that Sanyo Sakai Brewery and I personally have been able to come this far. And it is only because of the land of Shiso. Even now, Shiso is like a second home to me. I would be happy if people could sense even a little of that feeling."

I want to be a voice for people working in the sake industry.

In March 2024, Seki retired from Sanyo Sakai Brewery after working there for about five and a half years, and is currently focusing on his work as a writer.

Mr Seki
"I absolutely love interviewing people. It's a truly honourable job to be able to ask the people I interview to share a moment of their lives with me and tell me their stories. I've been very curious since I was a child, and I can't help but ask about anything that catches my eye, so I think that helps me out.
I think it's hard for people living in rural areas to find the countless treasures scattered right under their feet. In particular, the craftsmen at sake breweries often don't realize how wonderful a job they are doing because it's so obvious. I hope that through the articles I write, many people will learn about the value of their work."

During an interview with Sawtelle Sake, a sake brewery in Los Angeles

Seki has had a wide range of achievements up to now. What will he do next to give back to sake?

Mr Seki
"First of all, I want to publish a book. I want to write a reportage on sake breweries that incorporates history, and a travel guide that combines my hobby of visiting castles with the theme of sake. After that, I think I need to turn my attention overseas.
It is said that the drinking population in Japan will be halved in 40 years. The other day, when I interviewed a sake brewery in Los Angeles, I wrote an article about the current situation and challenges I felt. I received a message saying, "Thank you for writing so clearly about what we truly believe. Of all the articles you've written so far, this one best captures what we want to communicate." I was very happy, and it reminded me that this is what I should be doing.
I hope to become a voice for people involved in the sake industry, both in Japan and overseas."

Shooting cooperation:Firenze Sake

Writer: Kondo Sena
A freelance writer living in Tokyo. She likes sweet Junmai sake with a strong rice flavor. She is currently studying sake every day.
X: @sena_kondo