JAYFORCE

The award-winning documentary “The Birth of Saké” balances the physical labors of saké-making with the brewery workers’ personal stories and private sacrifices.

Incredible! This documentary is about a tradition, an art, craftsmanship, a lifestyle, a family business, a journey of self-discovery and appreciation and so much more brought to us by Japanese-American documentarian Erik Shirai. Turns out that Saké is waaaay more than fancy rice wine. The story’s telling – in “The Birth of Saké” – does involve a lot of cups of it though. The best!

In Japan, it’s such a normal thing to be an artisan, to dedicate your entire life to one craft and to be really good at it, so much so that Japanese people don’t find it interesting. But I was able to understand the culture, but also see it from a different perspective and really appreciate it. Hanging out [at the Tedorigawa brewery] for such a long period of time helped me realize that the Japanese culture is very embedded in who I am, in my aesthetics, my values, and how I see the world.- Erik Shirai

Check out the trailer above. Catch it on Netflix. More on the documentary at NBC News online.

MORE: THE BIRTH OF SAKE (NBCNEWS.COM)