yauemon sato is the seventh generation owner. is higher than it's ever been. but the industry is at a crossroads and domestic sales here injapan are falling because younger people have developed a taste for beer and imported wines instead. so breweries like this one are turning to tourism and the international market, and it's paying off. exports are at a record high and innovation and sustainability are helping to fuel this growing craft sake movement. winter is the busiest time of year for sake breweries. colder winter temperatures make for a higher quality sake. the head brewer, or koji, still completes much of the project by hand. so this smells just like rice. so it's been washed, then it's been dried, and now it's in here? i'm assuming there's yeast inside here to ferment? yes. the rice mash stays in the vat for a week. 0h! 0k. it's not as easy as it looks, actually. it's quite heavy. groans. it's like sweeping treacle. the whole process is incredibly labour—intensive. ten years ago, the brewery was left fighting for its su