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Food manufacturing workers

How to become a Miso Maker

Also called: Miso production worker

Makes koji from rice or barley, mixes it with steamed soybeans and salt, and ferments the mixture to produce many kinds of miso.

Workers in this job say high school or university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start. People join a large miso maker or a mid-sized regional maker after finishing high school or university. New graduates usually find jobs through their school, and people changing careers mostly through Hello Work (public employment service) and job advertisements. Barley miso is mainly produced in Kyushu and parts of Chugoku and Shikoku, soybean miso in the three Tokai prefectures of Aichi, Gifu and Mie, and rice miso everywhere else in Japan. A related qualification is the miso making exam in the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) run by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Some people also gain licences or qualifications in areas such as hygiene control. A reasonable level of fitness, enjoying making things, teamwork and a willingness to take the initiative are also needed.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Miso Maker?

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start. People join a large miso maker or a mid-sized regional maker after finishing high school or university. New graduates usually find jobs through their school, and people changing careers mostly through Hello Work (public employment service) and job advertisements. Barley miso is mainly produced in Kyushu and parts of Chugoku and Shikoku, soybean miso in the three Tokai prefectures of Aichi, Gifu and Mie, and rice miso everywhere else in Japan. A related qualification is the miso making exam in the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) run by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Some people also gain licences or qualifications in areas such as hygiene control. A reasonable level of fitness, enjoying making things, teamwork and a willingness to take the initiative are also needed.

How much does a Miso Maker earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥3,967,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Food, beverage and tobacco production workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Miso Maker?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 13% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: National trade skills test (技能検定).

Will AI change the work of a Miso Maker?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026