History of Sake — From Offerings to the Gods to Sake for the World

The story of sake began with the arrival of rice cultivation. For more than two thousand years, sake has connected gods and people, remaining at the heart of festivals and daily life. Let's trace that long story, briefly.

It Began as an Offering to the Gods

It is believed that fermented rice sake began to be made in the Yayoi period, when wet-rice farming first arrived. The Records of Wei describes the Wa people as fond of drink, and the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki contain many myths involving sake, such as the "eight-times-brewed sake" (yashiori no sake) in the legend of the Yamata no Orochi. Sake was first and foremost something sacred, offered to the gods — a shinsen.

Sake Refined by Temples in the Medieval Era — "Sobo-shu"

In the Heian period, sake brewing was overseen by the imperial court's Bureau of Sake, but by the medieval era its center shifted to temples. "Sobo-shu," brewed especially at temples in Nara, was regarded as the finest of its time, and it was at Shoryaku-ji Temple that techniques leading directly to modern seishu were established — including "bodaimoto," which uses lactic acid bacteria to suppress unwanted microbes, morohaku brewing, and pasteurization by heating. This is why Nara is called the birthplace of seishu.

Sake of the Edo Period and the Modern Era

In the Edo period, renowned brewing regions such as Nada and Fushimi developed, and cold-season brewing and the toji master-brewer system became established. From the Meiji era on, a scientific eye was brought to bear, and quality stabilized through pure yeast cultivation and the development of quick-fermenting sokujo moto. After the rice shortages of the war years and their aftermath, the "tokutei meisho-shu" categories such as ginjo and junmai blossomed from the late Showa era onward, ushering in an age of competing on quality.

And Now, Sake for the World

In 2024, "traditional sake brewing" was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, making sake a world cultural treasure in both name and substance. As its popularity abroad continues to grow, a new question is being asked: how was the rice itself grown? Our natural sake stands at the cutting edge of this two-thousand-year history, an attempt to return to the origin — the making of the rice itself.

• Yayoi PeriodRice sake begins alongside rice cultivation
• Nara–Heian PeriodsSake brewed under the imperial Bureau of Sake; the Engishiki records a variety of sakes
• Muromachi PeriodBodaimoto and morohaku brewing established at Shoryaku-ji in Nara — the "birthplace of seishu"
• Edo PeriodNada and Fushimi flourish; cold-season brewing and the toji system take hold
• Meiji–Showa PeriodsPure yeast cultivation, sokujo moto, and the shift from the grading system to tokutei meisho-shu
• 2024"Traditional sake brewing" inscribed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

History of Natural Farming — A Method That Gives Nothing

Natural cultivation is a farming method that uses neither pesticides nor chemical fertilizers — not even organic fertilizers such as compost — relying solely on the strength of the soil and the crop itself. At its source lies a philosophy born in Japan.

Origins — Mokichi Okada and Masanobu Fukuoka

One of the philosophical origins of natural cultivation is the "fertilizer-free cultivation" (natural farming) advocated by Mokichi Okada in the 1930s — the idea that soil naturally possesses the power to grow crops, and that fertilizer, if anything, undermines that power. Masanobu Fukuoka, known worldwide for his book "The One-Straw Revolution" (1975), advocated "no tillage, no fertilizer, no pesticides, no weeding," and his philosophy went on to greatly influence permaculture movements overseas.

The "Miracle Apples" and the Spread of Natural Cultivation

It was Akinori Kimura, an apple farmer from Aomori, who brought the term "natural cultivation" to wide public attention. After roughly ten years, he succeeded at growing apples without pesticides or fertilizer — something said to be absolutely impossible — and his story became known as the "Miracle Apples," told in a book and a film. Since then, the challenge of natural cultivation has spread to rice and vegetable farmers across Japan.

How Does Natural Cultivation Differ From Organic Farming?

Precisely because nothing is given, the rice sends its own roots deep, growing in symbiosis with the microbes in the soil. Yields fall well below those of conventional farming, but the rice that results is full of vitality and free of off-flavors.

Why Natural Cultivation for Sake Rice?

Sake fermentation is a microbial process in which koji mold converts the rice's starch into sugar, and yeast converts that sugar into alcohol. Naturally cultivated rice, free of excess nutrients, is said to ferment in a clean, straightforward way, producing a clear, crisp sake. Sake brewing draws on the power of microbes, and natural cultivation grows rice by the power of microbes. Natural cultivation and sake, it turns out, are a remarkably good match.

Growing Rice the Natural Way — A Year From Seed to Seed

Natural rice farming doesn't end at harvest. Seed for the following year is chosen from the best-ripened stalks, carrying it forward into the next spring. "Hatsushimo" is rice that has repeated this cycle for more than fifteen years. Let's follow a year in a field that receives neither fertilizer nor pesticides.

It Begins With the Seed — the Practice of Self-Seeding

In many rice fields today, it has become the norm to buy new seed every year. We do not. Instead, we take seed from the healthiest, best-ripened stalks in the autumn field and use it as next year's seed. Through more than fifteen years of this self-seeding, Hatsushimo has gradually adapted to this field's soil and this region's climate, becoming rice that grows strong even without fertilizer — rice that belongs to this field alone. To carry forward the seed is also to carry forward the memory of the land.

Spring — Raising Seedlings and Transplanting

In spring, only the fullest grains — those that sink in salt water — are selected (a method called salt-water selection) to raise healthy seedlings. In natural cultivation, no chemical disinfectants or fertilizers are used even at the seedling stage. Transplanting is done with generous spacing between plants. By giving each individual plant ample light and airflow, the rice tillers on its own and grows resistant to disease.

Summer — The Biggest Job Is Dealing With Weeds

In a field with no herbicide, weeding is the most labor-intensive task. We adjust water depth to suppress weed germination, push a hand-weeding tool through the rows, and pull by hand whatever weeds remain. It is steady, unglamorous work under the summer sun, but this very effort is what gives naturally cultivated rice its value. Frogs, spiders, and dragonflies all return to a field free of pesticides. That abundance of life is the surest proof that a field is healthy.

Ripening by the Strength of the Soil Alone

In a field without added fertilizer, soil microbes break down organic matter and pass nutrients to the rice. The rice searches for nutrients by spreading its roots deep and wide, growing slowly and steadily. It shows little of the weakness or pest damage common to nitrogen-heavy rice, and although the grains are somewhat smaller, they finish with a firm, clear flavor. The yield falls far short of conventional farming. Even so, there is a clarity to this rice found nowhere else.

Autumn — Harvest, and Into the Next Year

When the ears bow golden, harvest finally arrives. In our fields, the sight of the whole family out with sickles in hand, hand-harvesting together, is still very much alive. From the cut rice, we choose the seed to carry into next year — and here, the cycle begins again. The Hatsushimo grown this way is carried, come winter, to Kuramoto Shuzo in Tsuge, Nara, where it is brewed into "Peace「以和為貴」."

The "Natural Sake" Genre

Just as "natural wine" (vin nature) became a major genre in the wine world, a movement called "natural sake" or "naturalist sake" is quietly but steadily spreading in the world of sake as well.

What Sits Alongside Natural Wine

"Natural wine" has become an established term in restaurants and wine shops around the world, describing wine made with minimal human intervention from grape growing through to fermentation. "Natural sake" turns that same lens on sake. It describes sake that values elements such as how the rice was grown (no pesticides, no fertilizer), traditional starter-culture methods (kimoto, bodaimoto), and no additives (not relying on brewer's alcohol or enzyme preparations).

Three Elements That Make Up "Natural Sake"

1. Rice — How It Was GrownUsing naturally or pesticide-free cultivated rice. This is what we prioritize most, limiting ourselves to 100% naturally cultivated rice.
2. Moto — How Fermentation Is StartedStarter cultures in the kimoto lineage (kimoto, yamahai, bodaimoto), which harness the microbes and lactic acid bacteria living in the brewery. Nara is the birthplace of bodaimoto.
3. Hand — How Much Is Entrusted to PeopleBrewing that relies on no additives, instead making allies of temperature and time, with people accompanying the work of the microbes.

Not a "Clean Sake" but a "Living Sake"

The appeal of natural sake lies not in uniform beauty but in the fact that the memory of that year's field and brewery is bottled just as it is. Even the same brand can taste different from year to year — not a flaw, but sake's true nature as an agricultural product. Through a single glass, the drinker enters into a dialogue with that year's climate and the landscape of the field.

It is not yet a term with a legal definition. Precisely because of that, this is a genre that asks how honestly each producer confronts the word "natural." We promise to be transparent about everything — our ingredients, our methods, and our labeling.

What Makes Junmai Ginjo Different From Other Sake

Junmai, ginjo, daiginjo, honjozo — the terms lined up on sake labels. These differences can actually be organized along just two axes: how much the rice was polished, and whether brewer's alcohol was added.

A Map of the Special Designation Sakes

"Junmai" × "Ginjo" = the Best of Both

Junmai ginjo is sake made using only rice, rice koji, and water as ingredients (junmai), with at least 40% of the rice's outer layer polished away (a polishing ratio of 60% or less), brewed using the slow, low-temperature ginjo method. Since the protein and lipids concentrated in the outer layer of the rice grain are a source of off-flavors, polishing them away yields a clearer taste. And the long, low-temperature fermentation produces the "ginjo aroma," reminiscent of apple or melon.

In other words, junmai ginjo combines the umami and body of junmai sake with the floral aroma and clean character of ginjo sake — a sake whose virtue lies in that very balance. It pairs easily with food, which is why it is loved both as an entry point into sake and for the depth found the further in you go.

The Luxury of a Junmai Ginjo Made From Naturally Cultivated Rice

Taking naturally cultivated rice, already low in yield, and polishing away a further 40% of it — by the numbers alone, this is quite a luxury. Our junmai ginjo takes "Hatsushimo," naturally cultivated rice we've self-seeded for more than fifteen years, polishes it down to a 60% ratio, and brews it slowly at low temperature. Because it is strong rice, polished and fermented slowly, the aroma turns gentle, the taste turns clear, and the result is a glass that seems to reflect the very air of the rice field. We believe junmai ginjo is the form in which the true strength of naturally cultivated rice comes through most clearly.

How Sake Is Made — A Single Grain's Journey Into Sake

Sake is made using a sophisticated fermentation technique with no real parallel in the world: multiple parallel fermentation. Koji converts starch into sugar at the same time as yeast converts that sugar into alcohol — two fermentations proceeding simultaneously in a single tank.

1. Seimai (Polishing)The outer layer of the brown rice is polished away, removing the protein and lipids that cause off-flavors. For junmai ginjo, at least 40% is polished away.
2. Senmai & Shinseki (Washing & Soaking)The rice is washed and left to absorb water under second-by-second control. The absorption rate determines how the rice steams.
3. Mushimai (Steaming)The goal is "firm outside, soft inside" — grains that separate easily on the surface while staying plump within, the ideal texture for koji mold to take hold.
4. Seikiku (Koji-Making)Koji mold spores are sprinkled onto the steamed rice and cultivated for about two days and nights. As the saying goes, "first koji, second moto, third brewing" — this is the heart of sake making.
5. Shubo (Starter Culture)The process of healthily multiplying yeast, with lactic acid suppressing unwanted microbes. Kimoto, yamahai, and bodaimoto are traditional methods that harness naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria.
6. Moromi & Sandan Shikomi (Three-Stage Mash)Steamed rice, koji, and water are added in three stages over roughly three to four weeks. Slow fermentation at low temperature is what defines ginjo brewing.
7. Josu (Pressing)The moromi is pressed, separating the sake from the lees. The aroma of freshly pressed new sake is a privilege reserved for the brewery workers alone.
8. Hi-ire, Storage & BottlingAfter low-temperature pasteurization (hi-ire), the sake is aged, and once the flavor has come together, it is bottled and shipped.

The True Protagonists of Brewing: Microbes

Koji mold, lactic acid bacteria, yeast. Sake making is, at its core, nothing more than people continually shaping an environment where these invisible microbes can do their best work. The soft water springing from the mountain behind Kuramoto Shuzo lets fermentation proceed gently, and Tsuge's cool climate is ideal for long, low-temperature fermentation. Naturally cultivated rice brings to this a straightforward, powerful fermenting strength. From the microbes of the rice field to the microbes of the brewery — natural sake is brewed as a relay of microbial life.

Sake of Nara — The Pride of Seishu's Birthplace

"The Birthplace of Japanese Seishu." A stone monument bearing these words stands on the grounds of Shoryaku-ji Temple in Nara. Brewing in the homeland of sake carries special meaning for us.

It All Began in Nara

In the Muromachi period, the sobo-shu brewed at Nara's temples was known as "Nanto Morohaku" and was held in the highest regard in the capital as the finest sake of its day. "Morohaku" brewing, which uses polished white rice for both the koji rice and the steaming rice; "bodaimoto," which suppresses unwanted microbes through lactic fermentation; and "hi-ire," which prevents spoilage — the prototype of modern seishu brewing is said to have been established in Nara during this era.

The Revival of Bodaimoto

Bodaimoto, long out of use, was revived in the modern era through a project in the late 1990s that brought together Shoryaku-ji Temple, Nara's sake breweries, and research institutions. Today, the starter culture is prepared at Shoryaku-ji every January, with participating breweries each brewing their own bodaimoto sake. Kuramoto Shuzo has also learned deeply from this tradition, applying its knowledge of lactic acid bacteria to its own sake making.

The Land of Yamato and Its Sake

The mountains that ring the Nara Basin, the clear waters of Yoshino, the cool climate of the Yamato Highlands. Nara is also home to Omiwa Shrine, which venerates Mount Miwa itself as its sacred body and is worshipped as the god of sake — the land itself is deeply bound up with sake. The sugidama (cedar ball) tradition is also said to trace its origin to the cedar trees of this same Omiwa Shrine.

Nara's Sake Is Exciting Right Now

In recent years, Nara — with breweries taking on the traditional bodaimoto method, classical brewing techniques such as Mizuhana being recreated, and small, distinctive breweries on the rise — has become a place drawing keen attention from sake enthusiasts. Within that landscape, we are taking on a combination that is at once the oldest and the newest: "Nara, birthplace of seishu" × "naturally cultivated rice." Just as sake brewing a thousand years ago was a dialogue with microbes, our sake, too, is born from trust in the microbes of the field and of the brewery.