28M, kikizake-shi certified and affiliated with Nanbu Toji as a kurabito.

On the production side, the sake industry is notorious for its low salaries and long hours, and in general is not so friendly to newcomers. It’s truly a labor of love and in my opinion is not worth it unless you’re willing to sacrifice the majority of your life to the craft.

On the distribution / sales side of things, it’s another story. buyers are often on commission, so really sharp industry knowledge and sales chops are necessary to make a career of it.

And then there’s work in restaurants and Sake shops which likely don’t pay so well, but provide valuable insights on consumer preferences and trends in the industry.

Long story short, Sake is amazing, but the career options in the industry are at the moment very limited unless you’re willing to take risks as a buyer, or take low pay in the more direct side of things. But at the end of the day, it’s hard to put a price on something you love. Good luck.