When a person wanted to become a toji, he had to start his career from a position called kashiki (also called mamataki or meshitaki), which literally means a servant who cooks rice, and it took a few decades for him to learn all steps of brewing.
杜氏になるには、飯焚（かしき/ままたき/めしたき）から始め、全工程に習熟するまで数十年を要した。