An integrated life cycle sustainability assessment of a traditional sake brewery in Japan: environmental, economic, and social perspectives – a case study

Traditional sake breweries in Japan face the challenge of maintaining cultural heritage while meeting modern sustainability goals. This study presents an integrated framework combining life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), and social life cycle assessment (sLCA) to holistically evaluate sustainability in these small-scale traditional industries. The framework is applied to a historic sake brewery as a case study, capturing environmental impacts, life cycle costs, and social implications (including community and heritage values) across the sake production process. Scenario analysis is conducted to explore potential improvement strategies, focusing specifically on two scenarios: sourcing locally grown rice and enhancing human resource practices. This integrated assessment revealed significant trade-offs between sustainability dimensions. Sourcing local rice substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions (cutting the product's carbon footprint by nearly 60 %) and strengthened community benefits, but it increased production costs due to higher local material prices. Conversely, improving labor conditions (e.g., raising wages) enhanced worker well-being yet slightly decreased regional employment opportunities. These findings highlight the need for balanced strategies that concurrently address environmental, economic, and social objectives. Overall, the study demonstrates the value of a tailored life cycle sustainability assessment framework for guiding sustainability improvement in traditional sake breweries and similar craft industries. The insights provide brewery owners and policymakers with a comprehensive understanding of where interventions can maximize sustainability benefits, and the potential trade-offs involved. By enabling more informed decision making that explicitly considers multiple sustainability dimensions, the study supports sustainability transitions in regional craft sectors while preserving cultural heritage.