Loves wine. Loves to eat, as it is important to pair it with food. A person who can deal with customers in a calm and courteous manner.

A sommelier is a professional who entertains customers with wine. He or she listens to the tastes of customers dining at hotels and restaurants, and offers appropriate wines that go well with the food. In addition to serving at restaurants, sommeliers are also in charge of wine purchasing and inventory control. There are many wine varieties and regions in the world. In order to please customers, sommeliers need to constantly update their wealth of knowledge and taste information that they have actually confirmed with their own taste buds.

A sommelier does not need any special qualifications or educational background such as national certification. They can gain experience as a waiter in a hotel or restaurant and serve wine as a part of customer service. However, to work as a full-time sommelier at a top hotel or restaurant, one should obtain a private sommelier certification that is well known in the wine industry. The certification exam requires extensive knowledge of the food and beverage industry surrounding wine, so after graduating from high school, students should first study at a culinary or food and beverage school, or at a university with a nutrition department, which will help them find employment at restaurants and other establishments.

The best-known private-sector certifications are those issued by the Japan Sommelier Association (JSA) and the All Nippon Sommelier Federation (ANSA). There are several types of certifications, including "sommelier," "wine expert," "wine coordinator," and "wine navigator. There are also a variety of exam requirements, including those that require work experience at a store or company that handles alcoholic beverages, those that require prior training, and those for general consumers that do not require work experience.
However, if you want to become a sommelier as a professional, you should challenge the Japan Sommelier Association's designation qualification examination. The exam requires at least three years of work experience and at least 90 days of work experience during the year in which the exam is taken. The exam includes a written test, tasting, and practical skills in service, and is widely recognized in the food and beverage industry as a sommelier qualification that proves solid knowledge and practical skills. The gold badge with a grape design issued to those who have passed the "sommelier" certification is a coveted badge for those who aspire to this profession, and the higher level certification, "Sommelier Excellence," which requires at least 10 years of work experience, is the highest status in the sommelier world.

When one thinks of sommeliers in action, it is easy to imagine high-class hotels and restaurants. In recent years, luxury hotels have been opening one after another in Japan, but the number of sommeliers needed for a single restaurant is not large to begin with, so it is unlikely that the number of job openings will increase in large numbers. If you are aiming for a prestigious job, you have no choice but to steadily hone your skills and seize the opportunity. However, the custom of enjoying wine is becoming more familiar in Japan, and casual restaurants and wine bars are increasing. Sommeliers are increasingly in demand as advisors for the casual enjoyment of wine.

The average annual salary for waitstaff ranges from 2.7 to 3.26 million yen. However, for full-time sommeliers, it depends on the hotel or restaurant where they work. A well-known sommelier can expect a considerably higher annual salary.

Depends on the schedule of the hotel or restaurant where you work. Hotels are open all year round, so basic shifts are required. Restaurants are closed on their regular holidays.

Hotels, restaurants, wine bars, etc.

It's a chart that shows at a glance the main routes to getting a job as a sommelier!