Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In Japan, one of the country’s oldest culinary traditions begins with something almost invisible: a microscopic fungus known as Oryzae.
For more than a thousand years, Japanese brewers have relied on this rare mould to transform simple rice into sake, the iconic alcohol at the heart of Japanese culture. Deep inside traditional breweries, master craftsmen still preserve rituals passed down across generations, carefully cultivating the living organism that gives sake its flavour, aroma and soul.
Master brewer Takatoshi Ohno follows the ancient methods of his ancestors, searching rice fields for naturally occurring inadama, a rare rice mould that appears only under precise conditions. Once harvested, the fungus begins a delicate transformation: converting rice starch into sugar before fermentation can even begin.
Inside the brewery, temperature, humidity and timing become matters of survival. The fragile Oryzae spores generate heat as they grow, and a single mistake can destroy an entire batch. To guide the process, the brewers rely not only on technique, but on intuition, touch and rituals unchanged for centuries.
But beyond the brewery itself lies an even more secretive world. Hidden in Kyoto, a handful of specialist families cultivate and distribute mould spores to thousands of sake, miso and soy sauce producers across Japan. Their work quietly sustains some of the country’s most important culinary traditions.
From ancient fermentation techniques to the science behind Japanese brewing, this documentary explores the hidden world of Koji mould, the microorganism that shaped Japanese food culture for centuries.
Documentary: Shoyu and the Secrets of Japanese Cuisine
Directed by: Shohei Shibata
Production : Point du Jour, Arte France, NHK
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Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action.
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#documentary #slice #fulldocumentary #freedocumentary #sake #japan #kojimold #fermentation #japaneseculture #rice #sakebrewing #traditionalcraft #foodculture #documentary #freedocumentary #japanesefood #microbiology #craftsmanship #slice
In Japan, one of the country’s oldest culinary traditions begins with something almost invisible: a microscopic fungus known as Oryzae.
For more than a thousand years, Japanese brewers have relied on this rare mould to transform simple rice into sake, the iconic alcohol at the heart of Japanese culture. Deep inside traditional breweries, master craftsmen still preserve rituals passed down across generations, carefully cultivating the living organism that gives sake its flavour, aroma and soul.
Master brewer Takatoshi Ohno follows the ancient methods of his ancestors, searching rice fields for naturally occurring inadama, a rare rice mould that appears only under precise conditions. Once harvested, the fungus begins a delicate transformation: converting rice starch into sugar before fermentation can even begin.
Inside the brewery, temperature, humidity and timing become matters of survival. The fragile Oryzae spores generate heat as they grow, and a single mistake can destroy an entire batch. To guide the process, the brewers rely not only on technique, but on intuition, touch and rituals unchanged for centuries.
But beyond the brewery itself lies an even more secretive world. Hidden in Kyoto, a handful of specialist families cultivate and distribute mould spores to thousands of sake, miso and soy sauce producers across Japan. Their work quietly sustains some of the country’s most important culinary traditions.
From ancient fermentation techniques to the science behind Japanese brewing, this documentary explores the hidden world of Koji mould, the microorganism that shaped Japanese food culture for centuries.
Documentary: Shoyu and the Secrets of Japanese Cuisine
Directed by: Shohei Shibata
Production : Point du Jour, Arte France, NHK
We fully own the rights to the use of the published content.
Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action.
SLICE wants to fill up your curiosity!
Accessible to anyone from anywhere at any time, this channel is your weekly dose of short docs about curious facts, discoveries, astounding info, unusual stories, weird, fun and instructive. Be smart, have a slice!
Subscribe now ►►► youtube.com/channel/UCvziXdVCN7PMdFZEFZ6aEqQ?sub_confirmation=1
Become a fan ! youtube.com/channel/UCvziXdVCN7PMdFZEFZ6aEqQ/join
Follow us 👇
In French: youtube.com/c/SLICEFR
Facebook: facebook.com/slicedocs
Instagram: instagram.com/slicedocs
#documentary #slice #fulldocumentary #freedocumentary #sake #japan #kojimold #fermentation #japaneseculture #rice #sakebrewing #traditionalcraft #foodculture #documentary #freedocumentary #japanesefood #microbiology #craftsmanship #slice
