Guide 1. So, What Exactly Is Sake?
Sake is Japan’s iconic traditional brewed beverage, whose brewing techniques have been recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. There are more than 1,000 sake breweries across the country.
By law, only drinks that meet the following requirements are officially defined as “Nihonshu” (Japanese Sake):
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Only rice grown in Japan may be used as the raw ingredient.
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It must be brewed within Japan (*1).
Therefore, sake made with imported rice or produced overseas cannot be called “Nihonshu.”
With a history stretching back centuries, sake has long been an essential part of Shinto rituals and celebrations in Japan—an inseparable part of Japanese culture itself.
How Is Sake Different from Wine or Beer?
Sake, like wine and beer, is a fermented beverage. However, there are two major differences:
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Ingredients
Wine is made from grapes, beer from barley, while sake is made from rice. By bringing out the natural sweetness and umami of rice, sake develops a gentle, mellow flavor. -
Enjoyed at Various Temperatures
Sake is unique in that its character changes depending on temperature.
Chilled sake tastes crisp and refreshing, while warmed sake releases richer aromas and depth of flavor—almost as if you’re drinking an entirely different beverage.
Sake as a Special Experience
Sake is more than just an alcoholic drink—it reflects the history and food culture of each region in Japan.
For Japanese people, it is also a symbol of omotenashi (hospitality). Enjoying sake alongside local dishes during your travels allows you to experience the spirit of the place more deeply.
Today, sake is gaining global popularity, recognized alongside wine and craft beer as a drink to be paired with food and savored as part of the dining experience.
*1 Legal Definition of Seishu :
Under Japanese law, “seishu” refers to alcoholic beverages with less than 22% ABV that fall into one of the following categories:
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Fermented and filtered using rice, rice koji, and water.
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Fermented and filtered using rice, rice koji, water, and other permitted ingredients, provided those ingredients do not exceed 50% of the weight of the rice used.
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Refined sake to which sake lees (the solids left from brewing) have been added and then filtered.
