JAPANESE SAKE IS A WINE PRODUCED FROM RICE BY PARTICULAR METHODS. IT HAS BEEN A POPULAR DRINK WITH THE JAPANESE PEOPLE SINCE ANCIENT TIMES AND HAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF JAPANESE LIFE FOR CENTURIES.

THE PLANT WHERE THE SAKE IS PRODUCED IS KNOWN AS A SAKAGURA. THE BUILDING CHARACTERISTICALLY HAS THICK WALLS AND IS VERY TALL. THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE BUILDING IS LOW. IT ALSO SERVES AS A STOREHOUSE FOR THE REFINED SAKE.

IN ORDER TO PRODUCE EXCELLENT QUALITY SAKE, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO USE GOOD RICE AND WATER. SAKE-MAKING DISTRICTS IN JAPAN HAVE DEVELOPED IN AREAS WHERE GOOD QUALITY RICE AND WATER, SUITED FOR THE MAKING OF THE BREW, ARE READILY AVAILABLE. THERE ARE ABOUT 3,700 SAKE MANUFACTURERS IN JAPAN TODAY, MANY OF WHOM HAVE A HISTORY DATING BACK 200 OR 300 YEARS.

JAPANESE SAKE HAS THE HIGHEST ALCOHOLIC CONTENT OF ALL BREWED LIQUORS.

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING SAKE IS DIVIDED INTO FIVE PROCESSES. THE FIRST STEP IS THE STEAMING OF THE RICE, THE BASIC MATERIAL WHICH GOES INTO THE MAKING OF THE WINE. THE SECOND PROCESS IS THE MAKING OF RICE YEAST. THE NEXT STEP IS FERMENTING THE RICE. THE FOURTH PROCESS ENTAILS THE MAKING OF MOROMI OR UNREFINED SAKE. THE FIFTH AND FINAL STAGE IS THE MAKING OR REFINED SAKE.

IT GENERALLY TAKES ABOUT FOUR MONTHS TO PRODUCE REFINED SAKE. WORK STARTS IN NOVEMBER AND ENDS IN MARCH THE FOLLOWING YEAR. THE BUSIEST SEASON FOR SAKE MAKERS IS FROM MID-JANUARY TO MID-FEBRUARY, WHEN WINTER IS AT ITS COLDEST. SAKE IS PRODUCED AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THE LOW TEMPERATURE KEEPS THE BACTERIA CONTENT OF THE AIR LOW AND THE BACTERIA WHICH DO EXIST RELATIVELY INACTIVE. THIS IN TURN FORESTALLS THE DANGER THAT THE FERMENTING RICE AND UNREFINED SAKE WILL BE SPOILED.

THE ORIGIN OF JAPANESE SAKE CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE SO-CALLED "DAYS OF THE GODS." IN THE NOHON SHOKI (CHRONICLES OF JAPAN, THE OLDEST OFFICIAL HISTORY OF JAPAN COMPILES IN 720 A.D.) THE WORD SAKE IS FREQUENTLY MENTIONED IN VOLUMES DEALING WITH THE MYTHICAL DAYS OF TE GODS.

ALTHOUGH THE SAKE CAN BE DRUNK COLD OR WITH ICE, IT IS GENERALLY DRUNK AFTER HEATING IT IN HOT WATER IN CERAMIC VESSEL CALLED THE TOKKURI WHICH IS HEATED TO BODY TEMPERATURE AND DRUNK FROM SMALL CERAMIC CUPS CALLED SAKZUKI. IT MUST BE DRUNK SIP BY SIP TO FULLY APPRECIATE ITS FLAVOUR. IT CAN BE MOST FULLY ENJOYED IF THERE IS A COMBINATION OF EXCELLENT SAKE, GOOD FOOD, BEAUTIFUL DRINKING UTENSILS AND A STRONG IMPRESSION OF THE PROPER SEASONAL ATMOSPHERE.