Sake is offered to the Gods as a gift.

The consensus is that sake in Japan originated over 2000 years ago after rice growing was introduced from China.
In the historical text, Topography of Osumi Province, there is reference to Kuchikamizake or mouth-chew sake. At the time, people had not mastered the technique of fermenting rice, so they had to chew the uncooked rice, using their saliva in lieu of the modern fermentation process. Don't worry though, this saliva-made sake was used solely for religious rituals, not as a beverage.

Women known as Miko who serve god were the only ones qualified to make the sake intended for honoring the gods. Currently tojis are mostly men, but originally sake was made by women.

Sake is a valuable article in supplying nutrients. The Nara period marked the beginning of full-scale alcohol production. During this era, the Imperial court established a Department of Sake in its Office of Alcohol Production. Around this time, instead of chewing the rice, people started to use koji that was brought from China for brewing sake.

In those times, food with high caloric content were a rarity and were reserved only for the nobility. People would drink sake with rice grains remaining inside.

In Heian Era, sake making was done not only by the government, but also by Buddhist priests at temples. Sake production increased, but it was used mostly for festivals. During this time, alcohol production techniques dramatically improved. Historical texts describe the use of steamed rice in the fermentation mash of some brews. Also, Buddhist monks developed a method that used polished rice in the mash.

In the Kamakura Era, sake began to be distributed in small but ever increasing amounts. Eventually, the amount available increased, and a small number of common people were finally able to taste sake. As urbanization continued and sake became widely consumed, unruly samurai and drunken lawlessness led to the prohibition of alcohol.

Sake is established as a regional product.

During the Muromachi period, the ruling shogunate recognized alcohol as a significant source of tax revenue and encouraged its production and sale, leading to a resurgence in sake brewing.

As sake production developed, region-specific and locally brewed sake emerged throughout Japan. At this time, the main ingredient had been changed from unmilled rice (brown rice) to white rice (polished rice). The center of sake production was still in temples, but production was also expanded and civilians began to make sake as a local item.

This era also marked the development of heat pasteurization and multi-staged preparation for fermentation mash.

Industrialization of Sake.

The Edo era saw developments in sake industry whose effects can be seen in sake-making today:

• Kanzukuri

• Popularization of Hi-ire (heat pasteurization)

• Sandanjikomi (three step preparation for fermentation mash)

• Toji System

• Hashira-jochu (alcohol addition)

• Popularization of Seishu/Sumi-zake (clear sake)

• Effects of water on sake