Foundation: General

Question 1

During which period was the ‘Birth of Sake’?

Answer 1

Yayoi Period

Question 2

When did the Yayoi Period start?

Answer 2

300BC

Question 3

During which THREE periods is ‘Temple Sake’ associated?

Answer 3

1. Nara
2. Heian
3. Kamakura

Question 4

What are the TWO names of Temple Sake?

Answer 4

1. Sōbōshu (‘Monk Sake’ 僧坊酒)
2. Morohaku (諸白)

Question 5

Predominantly around where was sake made during the Nara, Heian and Kamakura periods?

Answer 5

Kyōto

Question 6

Which THREE techniques were developed during the Sengoku Period?

Answer 6

1. Bodai-moto
2. Hi-ire (pasteurisation)
3. Filtration (using wood ash)

Question 7

What years do the Nara/Heian/Kamakura Periods span?

Answer 7

710-1333

Question 8

When was the Sengoku Period?

Answer 8

1467-1600

Question 9

When were distillation techniques introduced to Kyūshū?

Answer 9

Sengoku Period

Question 10

When was the Edo Period?

Answer 10

1600-1868

Question 11

Which TWO sake regions developed during the early Edo Period?

Answer 11

1. Itami
2. Ikeda

Question 12

Which TWO sake regions developed during the late Edo Period?

Answer 12

1. Nada-gogō
2. Fushimi

Question 13

What were the FOUR major developments in sake making in the Edo Period?

Answer 13

1. Kanzukuri 寒造り (winter brewing)
2. Sandan Jikomi ３段仕込み (3 stage sake brewing)
3. Kimoto-zukuri
4. Birth of Tōji Guilds

Question 14

When was water power pioneered?

Answer 14

Edo Period

Question 15

What area was transformed into a ‘powerhouse’ due to water power? Why (THREE reasons)?

Answer 15

Nada

1. Development of suisha seimai 水車精米 (water-wheel milling)
2. Discovery of miyamizu
3. Proximity to water for shipping

Question 16

When was the village rice system developed?

Answer 16

Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Question 17

What is the name of the ‘village rice system’ in Japanese?

Answer 17

Mura-mai seido

村米制度

Question 18

When was the Meiji Period?

Answer 18

1868 to 1912

Question 19

What developments resulted from mura-mai seido?

Answer 19

• Improvement in quality of sake rice
• ‘Pure terroir outlook’ in rice cultivation in Hyōgo’s southwest

Question 20

When were early ginjō techniques developed?

By whom?

Answer 20

During the Meiji Period, by Senzaburo Miura

Question 21

In what year was the Vertical Rice Polishing machine introduced?

Answer 21

1933

Question 22

In what year was Yamada Nishiki developed and in what year was it registered?

Answer 22

Developed in 1927, registered in 1936

Question 23

When was ‘the rise of jizake’ (地酒, local craft sake)?

Answer 23

Mid 1970s

Question 24

During which decade ginjō-shu’s globalisation take place?

Answer 24

1980s

Question 25

When/where was Japan’s first GI for alcohol awarded?

For which regions and beverages?

Answer 25

30 June 1995

Okinawa for Awamori

Kumamoto for Shōchū

Nagasaki for Shōchū

Question 26

When was Nihonshu 日本酒 created as a designation?

Answer 26

25 December 2015

Question 27

Which was the first GI awarded at the Prefecture level for Nihonshu? When?

Answer 27

Yamagata GI

16 December 2016

Question 28

Roughly how many prefectures in Japan can be considered to possess a distinct terroir / sense of regionality?

Answer 28

Around one third (15-16ish)

Question 29

What are the six elements of sake regionality?

Answer 29

1. Environment
2. Rice
3. Water
4. Microbes
5. Human Element
6. Culture

Question 30

What contrasting viewpoints can sake regionality be viewed through?

Answer 30

Macro-regionality (whole geographical region e.g. Tōhoku, or prefecture e.g. Niigata)

Meso-regionality (a region within a larger area e.g. Nada-Gogō, Hakusan)

Micro-regionality (very narrow e.g. individual breweries)