Tōji (brewmaster)
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Tōji (杜氏?) is the job title of the Japanese sake brewmaster. It is a highly respected job in the Japanese society; tōji are treated like musicians or painters. The title of tōji is usually passed on from father to son, however today new tōji are either veteran brewery workers, or specially trained at universities.
While modern breweries with refrigeration and cooling tanks operate year-round most old fashioned sake breweries are seasonal, operating only in the cool winter months. During the summer and fall most tōji work elsewhere, and are commonly found on farms, only periodically returning to the brewery to supervise storage conditions or bottling operations.
[edit] Etymology
The meaning of this courtesy title is literally "Mr. Tō". "Tō" (杜, Chinese: Dù) is a Chinese family name. The use of this title is to pay homage to the alleged inventor of Chinese wine, Dù Kāng (杜康).
Dù Kāng's name has been used countless times in Chinese poetry and literature. However, Chinese brewmasters are never known to be called by this name.
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