How long has amazake been around?

Amazake has been drunk by Japanese people since the Nara period, and it seems that it was a drink offered to the gods at that time.

Amazake was mentioned in the ancient Nihon Shoki

There are various theories about the origin of koji amazake, but in Japan it dates back to the Kofun period. In the "Nihon Shoki," there is a description that "the goddess of sake brewing named Konohana Sakuya Hime made a drink called Amanotamuzake."
As the kanji character suggests, it must have been a sweet sake. There is also a description of "koshu", and these two liquors are said to be the origin of the current koji amazake.

Amazake became popular among the common people and became a summer season word.

During the Heian period, it was loved by aristocrats as a luxurious drink that was chilled with ice from an ice room. It seems that it spread widely to the common people in the latter half of the Edo period. In summer in the towns of Edo and Kyoto, amazake-uri (sweet sake sellers) parade around the streets, and this has become a seasonal tradition in haiku.
Not only is amazake sweet and delicious, but it also has excellent health benefits , so it is said to be a “drinkable intravenous drip” to prevent summer fatigue. is.
And now, amazake's delicious taste and high nutritional benefits are being re-evaluated. Please try to incorporate delicious amazake made only from malted rice and rice into your daily life.