The Yamagata Research Institute of Technology and the Yamagata Prefectural Sake Brewers Association (Technical Research Committee) are leading development of human resources and improvements in brewing technology by uniting the public sector, private sector, and community.
Yamagata Prefecture also specializes in fruit, and since there is a tendency to prefer sakes that draw on the aromas of fruits such as Fuji apples, melons, and La France pears, which are specialty products of the region, there is ongoing research into manufacturing technologies that chiefly focus on the ginjo variety of sake.
In addition, in 1985, the criteria for eligibility for Yamagata Sanga, a unified brand of refined sake, was upgraded from requiring a 30 to percent to a 40 percent average certification rate from the Yamagata Sanga Evaluation Committee. This has enabled Yamagata Prefecture as a whole to commercialize the product while lifting production standards across the board. This has in turn led to the formation of a unique type of sake that is a signature of Yamagata.