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Food manufacturing workers

How to become a Tofu Maker

Also called: Fried tofu maker, Ganmodoki (tofu fritter) maker, Tofu production worker, Thick fried tofu maker, Grilled tofu maker

Makes tofu, fried tofu and thick fried tofu in tofu shops and factories.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school 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. Because the work needs special skills, people usually start as an apprentice in a tofu shop, learn the trade and then set up on their own, or take over a family business. It takes one to two years to be able to do all the basic tasks, and four to five years of experience to master methods that adjust for seasonal changes in air and water temperature and to learn the knack of keeping a shop's own flavour. To open your own shop you need, at the very least, premises, production equipment and storage and sales equipment. You also need to qualify as a food hygiene supervisor. There is a lot of heavy work, so physical fitness is needed.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Tofu Maker?

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start. Because the work needs special skills, people usually start as an apprentice in a tofu shop, learn the trade and then set up on their own, or take over a family business. It takes one to two years to be able to do all the basic tasks, and four to five years of experience to master methods that adjust for seasonal changes in air and water temperature and to learn the knack of keeping a shop's own flavour. To open your own shop you need, at the very least, premises, production equipment and storage and sales equipment. You also need to qualify as a food hygiene supervisor. There is a lot of heavy work, so physical fitness is needed.

How much does a Tofu 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 Tofu Maker?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 13% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Tofu 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