History of Sake Timeline

Starting around the beginning of the Meiji era, sake-making techniques developed rapidly. Representative early sake rice varieties included Ise Nishiki (1860), Omachi (1866), and Shinriki (1877).

Image source: Ōmachi, Nagano

The liquor tax grew from 12.3% of national tax revenue in 1878 to 26.4% in 1888, and by 1899 it reached 38.8%, finally surpassing the land tax's share of 35.6%.

In 1899, anticipating financial pressure from the First Sino-Japanese War and preparing for the Russo-Japanese War, the government banned home brewing. This destroyed the market for aged koshu, which brewers only resumed making in 1955.

In 1904, the National Brewing Laboratory developed yamahai, a new method of making starter mash that reduced labor while preserving traditional flavor characteristics.

The government opened the National Brewing Laboratory in 1904, beginning detailed studies of yeast and laying the scientific foundation for rapid advances in sake production during the Meiji era.

Image source: Research Institute of Brewing and Malting

In 1906, the Brewing Society of Japan was founded, establishing a system whereby superior yeasts discovered were registered as Kyokai yeast and distributed to breweries throughout Japan.

In 1907, the first government-run sake-tasting competition was held, encouraging quality improvement and friendly rivalry among breweries across Japan.

In 1910, sokujō, a further improvement on starter mash production, was developed. This quicker fermentation-starter method became widely adopted across the industry.

The term ginzo (carefully brewed sake) first appeared at the end of the Edo period, and the term ginjō, meaning the same, first appeared in 1894, foreshadowing the later rise of ginjō-shu.

In 1923, Yamada Nishiki, later called the 'king of sake rice,' was produced. Among more than 123 varieties of sake rice as of 2019, it ranks first in production, ahead of Omachi in fourth place.

Image source: Yamada Nishiki

From 1930 to 1931, new rice milling machines were invented that could polish rice down to about 50%, removing off-flavors from the grain's surface and enabling more aromatic, refreshing sake.

Image source: White rice

The ginjō-shu popular worldwide today was created through the development of various production techniques from the 1930s to around 1975, combining high rice polishing, refined yeasts, and precise temperature control.

In 1936, Yamada Nishiki, considered the most suitable sake rice for brewing ginjō-shu, became the recommended variety of Hyogo Prefecture, cementing its status in premium sake production.

In 1973, the National Tax Agency's brewing research institute developed kijōshu, an expensive sake made partly with finished sake instead of water, intended for government banquets serving state guests.

From around 1975, ginjō-shu began to be marketed and was widely distributed in the 1980s. In 1990, official labeling standards for ginjō-shu were established, prompting many more brewers to sell it.

While there were 3,229 sake breweries nationwide in fiscal 1975, the number had fallen to 1,845 by 2007, reflecting declining domestic consumption and industry consolidation.

In 1978, October 1 was designated Sake Day by the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, celebrating the traditional brew and promoting sake culture domestically and abroad.

Since the 21st century, Aspergillus kawachii (white koji) and Aspergillus luchuensis (black koji), traditionally used for shochu and awamori, have been used to brew sake. Amaneko, using white koji, was released in 2009; black koji sake remained less popular as of 2022.

Since the 21st century, the use of wooden tubs for sake brewing has increased again thanks to the development of sanitary techniques, reviving traditional methods prized for the subtle character they impart.

Image source: Sake

Circa 2005, teiseihaku-shu began to be produced as a specialty sake made with low polishing ratios around 80%, deliberately preserving the characteristic flavor of rice itself.

In 2008, a total of 180,000 tons of polished rice were used in sake brewing, with sake rice accounting for 44,000 tons (24%) and table rice accounting for 136,000 tons (76%).

The value of sake exports in 2022 was over six times that of 2009. In 2022, sake ranked second in Japan's alcohol exports at 47.5 billion yen behind whisky, and exports rose another 70% since 2021, reaching 41.1 billion yen ($270.4 million) in 2023. Despite growth, sake held only 0.2% of the US alcohol market as of 2020.

In 2018, Satake Corporation developed a new type of rice milling machine allowing dramatically faster and more focused milling of the long axis portion of rice, which has high mineral content and can add unwanted flavors.

The Japan Craft Sake Breweries Association was founded in 2022 under the leadership of Shuhei Okazumi of Ine to Agave Brewery, supporting small-scale craft producers.

Image source: Craft beer

As of 2023, the most polished sake achieves a remaining ratio of 0.85% or less, with at least 99.15% of the rice grain polished away — an extraordinary feat of milling technology.

In December 2024, sake brewing — though not sake itself — was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage, honoring centuries of artisanal knowledge and craftsmanship.