Learn About the History and Culture of Kokushu
The Kokushu Digital Museum is an online museum
aimed to introduce the historical and cultural
aspects of ‘Kokushu’, traditional alcoholic drinks
that are deeply rooted in Japanese society.
Many countries around the world
have an alcoholic beverage
that represents the region.
In Japan, sake, honkaku shochu, awamori,
and hon mirin have been enjoyed
by the Japanese people for centuries.
'Kokushu' is a collective term that refers to
these four types of drinks
and literally means "national alcoholic drink".
While they are produced across the country,
each drink is adapted to the local climate and culture
in different regions.
All kokushu is made with koji, a type of fungus grown on rice. Known as a “national fungus” (Kokkin in Japanese), koji mold is also used to make essential seasonings of Japanese dishes such as miso and soy sauce. Koji, therefore, is a significant element of Japanese food culture, and kokushu, a product of koji, a great representative of Japanese drinks.
Kokushu has an extensive history. The brewing methods using koji are said to have been established in Japan more than 1,300 years ago. Sake was originally produced only in the Imperial Court during the Nara period (8th century) and in temples and shrines from the Heian to Muromachi periods (late 8th to mid 14th century). Later, these brewing techniques were used more widely by the general public.
On the other hand, the techniques used in shochu distillation were brought to the Ryukyu Kingdom (today's Okinawa) between the 14th~15th centuries, from China and Southeast Asia via trading. This resulted in the creation of awamori, and its distillation methods were soon passed onto the Satsuma Domain (today's Kagoshima). Later, these techniques were combined with those of brewing Nihonshu and resulted in the development of shochu in the southern Kyushu area.
Hon mirin was derived from shochu. It is made by mixing shochu with steamed glutinous rice and koji. Hon mirin was originally enjoyed as a sweet alcoholic beverage between the Sengoku (mid 15th century) to the modern period. However, it is mainly used for cooking in the present day.
Kokushu has been enjoyed by the Japanese people for centuries.
However, it also plays a significant role
in Japanese society and culture as a whole.
The Kokushu Digital Museum was established to
introduce and help people
around the world learn more about
the historical and cultural
aspects of these beverages.
In addition to the many of the historical seasonal events
and traditional rituals of Japan that include kokushu,
the museum will also introduce
how the drinks are portrayed in the modern era.
These examples will include
ukiyo-e paintings, posters, films, and manga works.
Through focusing on the everyday and subtle portrayals,
visitors can learn about the intimate connection between
Kokushu and Japanese culture.
In different regions of Japan,
kokushu has been developed and
enjoyed according to the local climate and culture.
Visitors can learn in-depth about the diversity of Kokushu
through exhibitions of regional festivals and ingredients,
and videos of local brewery tours and their sake brewing processes.
Lastly, another important mission of the Kokushu Digital Museum is
to continue the legacy of kokushu history.
By creating a hub of videos and historical documents
that feature traditional brewing and distillation techniques,
we hope to pass down the knowledge and appreciation of this culture
on to the next generation.
We hope that your visit to the Kokushu Digital Museum
will help you discover the many charms
that Japanese traditional alcoholic beverages have.
Sake is a unique Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice and koji. It contains approximately 15% alcohol and is typically served straight at a temperature between 12℃ and 40℃.
The methods used to brew sake with koji were introduced more than 1,300 years ago. Since then, sake has become an integral part of Japanese society, used in rituals and celebrations, and enjoyed in everyday situations. The intimate connection between sake and Japanese culture is portrayed in many plays, literature, and paintings. Many historic sake breweries and brewing tools are registered as valuable cultural properties as well.
For further information, visit the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association official website.
Honkaku shochu and awamori are Japanese distilled spirits, made by distilling fermented mash of ingredients and koji. It contains approximately 20%~40% alcohol and is typically served straight, on the rocks, or mixed with other beverages.
Depending on the production region, the base ingredient can be rice, barley, sweet potatoes, raw cane sugar, or sake lees. ‘Awamori’ refers to shochu from Okinawa prefecture made with black koji for fermentation. The distillation methods were said to have originated from China and Southeast Asia and brought to the Ryukyu Kingdom (today's Okinawa) between the 14th~15th centuries. The methods were then passed onto the Satsuma Domain (today's Kagoshima).
For further information, visit the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association official website.
Hon mirin is a rice wine made with steamed glutinous rice, koji, and rice shochu that contains approximately 14% alcohol.
Previously, hon mirin was enjoyed as a sweet alcoholic beverage between the Sengoku (mid 15th century) and the modern period. However, now it is more commonly used for cooking. The production of hon mirin in Japan is believed to have started in the 16th century, alongside shochu, which is a required ingredient. A record from the late 16th century is one of the earliest in the country, addressing it as "mirin chu".
