All About Japanese SAKE-1

“BINBOU-TOKKURI” Sake Bottles for Poor People

The origin of Japanese sake is much older than the origin of whiskey.
Here is an introduction to the history of sake.

In principle, sake was sold volume in rented containers.
Nowadays, most liquors are sold in disposable glass bottles or cartons,
but in the olden days, about 300 years ago, sake was transported and sold
in wooden barrels containing 4 tou, about 18 liters.

As souvenirs or for people who could not buy such a large amount at once,
sake was also sold in small pottery bottles（1.8～3.6 liters）called BINBOU-Tokkuri, named
for the common could not buy in big quantity.

Barrels and bottles were available for purchase, but most people bought their sake in rental bottles.
On the surface of the sake bottle, the name of the sake and the name of liquor store were written.

Different regions used distinctive bottles produced in specific areas.
For example, Tambaware was used around the whole Kinki area,
Otaniware was predominant in the Shikoku area,
and Minoware was found over the entire Kanto area.

The three major production areas of sake bottles were Tamba ,in Hyogo prefecture,
Takada ,in Gifu prefecture, and Arita ,in Saga prefecture.

by HAKUU