Synopsis

The documentary was filmed in Noto Peninsula, Japan. The agricultural system of Noto Peninsula is certified as a GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System), and people live together sustainably with nature. The food that is provided by the natural environment of mountains and the ocean not only helps the human body, but also their hearts to grow. To take a deep look into Japanese sake brewing we examined its artistry, but more importantly the environment that the rice is grown in, and the holy ceremonies that are held to appreciate the harvest. In fact, sake was originally made for offerings to the gods.The manufacturing process of Japanese sake is said to be one of the most detailed and complex out of all the alcoholic drinks around the world, making sake a fermented food that Japan prides itself in. Japanese sake artisans are called toji, and there are many groups of toji all over Japan. The film focuses on the toji of Noto Peninsula, who believe in what it is to be human and pour their beautiful souls into sake brewing. As Japan became an economic power, the beauty of the sake brewing tradition has become overseen - and now, more than ever, we must remind ourselves of the precious souls of these sake brewers, who continue to hand down such rare and traditional artistry. During the summer the toji of Noto work in nature, doing agriculture or fishery work, and in the winter, they go to sake breweries to make sake. Sake brewing by the toji actually started as a migrant job to make some cash during the winter when agriculture cannot be done. Sake brewing is an extremely severe job. The people leave their families for half a year, live in the breweries, and handle cold water from early mornings until late nights in the winter. In addition, the title of a toji is loaded with responsibility, which determines the fate of the entire brewery. The pressure was so high that in the old days, some committed suicide when their sake went bad. A group of four masters in sake brewing have built the current refined technique of modern day sake brewing - and they were called the “The Four Sake Kings of Noto”. Giving up on their wishes to go to school, they climbed to the top of sake brewing artistry for their families, and to protect the land that was passed on from their ancestors. Currently there are fewer numbers of people who work in sake brewing as migrant workers, but young toji who are fascinated by Japanese sake and the accomplishments of the Sake Kings, are dedicating their lives to inherit the strict artistry of sake brewing.

Cast Map