Cultural history of sake

×3rd centurySake is a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice. Sake originated in China, where it was used as a medicinal tonic. It arrived in Japan around 2500 years ago, along with rice cultivation. The first record of sake consumption in Japan dates from the 3rd century. Sake production methods were refined over time, and it became popular among the Japanese aristocracy and the general population.,The first written record referring to sake dates from the 3rd century ce, and the first reference to its manufacture dates from the 8th century. In ancient Japan sake was produced primarily by the imperial court and by large temples and shrines, but from the early 12th century the general population began to manufacture it.Sake is thought to have originated in China, where it was used as a medicinal tonic. The earliest sake production methods were likely similar to those used for making wine. Sake made its way to Japan sometime during the Nara period (710-794), and it quickly became popular among the Japanese aristocracy.The History of Japanese Sake The technique to ferment rice into an alcoholic drink was developed in ancient China. It arrived in Japan along with rice cultivation around 2500 years ago. Since then, Japanese people continuously refined production methods to create a truly unique drink called sake.The origin of sake is unclear; however, the method of fermenting rice into alcohol spread to Japan from China around 500BCE. The earliest reference to the use of alcohol in Japan is recorded in the Book of Wei in the Records of the Three Kingdoms. This 3rd-century Chinese text speaks of Japanese drinking and dancing.Sake has an extensive history. In fact, scholars believe that the first records of fermenting rice into an alcoholic beverage date back to China 7000 years ago. The practice then came to Japan around the 2nd century BC. However, the first record of sake consumption did not surface until the 3rd century.