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How to Read a Sake Label: Junmai, Ginjo and Daiginjo Explained

Sake (Japanese rice wine, or seishu) labels can look daunting because of all the kanji, but in practice the same items keep appearing, following the labeling standards set by Japan's National Tax Agency. Once you know what grade names such as Junmai, Ginjo and Daiginjo mean, and what figures such as the rice polishing ratio and nihonshu-do stand for, you can read even the small print on the back of the bottle.

findsool editorial team · 2026-09-28

Special designation sake: Junmai, Honjozo, Ginjo, Daiginjo

Sake is broadly divided into special designation sake (特定名称酒, tokutei meisho-shu) and everything else, known as ordinary sake (普通酒, futsu-shu). The special designations are eight names for which the National Tax Agency's "Labeling Standards for the Production Method and Quality of Seishu" set requirements such as the ingredients and how much the rice has been polished (the polishing ratio), and they are often the largest text on the front label. All special designation sake share one common requirement: the rice used to make the rice koji must account for at least 15% of the rice.

There are two keys to understanding the categories. First, a name that includes Junmai (純米) means the sake is made only from rice, rice koji and water, with no added brewer's alcohol. Second, Ginjo (吟醸) and Daiginjo (大吟醸) indicate sake carefully brewed from rice that has been polished further. Combining these two axes gives you the eight names.

Added brewer's alcohol does not mean lower quality. The amount of brewer's alcohol used in Honjozo and Ginjo-type sake is capped (no more than 10% of the weight of the polished white rice used), and it is added to lift the aroma or to give the flavor a lighter, cleaner shape. Junmai originally had to meet a polishing ratio of 70% or less, but this restriction was dropped in 2004.

How to read the rice polishing ratio (seimai-buai)

The rice polishing ratio (精米歩合, seimai-buai) on the label is the percentage of the grain that remains after the brown rice has been polished. A polishing ratio of 60% means the outer 40% of the rice was polished away and only the inner 60% was used. Keep in mind that a smaller number means more polishing, since this is easy to get backwards.

The outer layers of the rice grain are rich in protein and fat, which can give sake unwanted off-flavors. That is why the more the rice is polished, the more likely the sake is to be clean with a bright, fragrant aroma, and it is also why the Ginjo and Daiginjo requirements include a polishing ratio. Conversely, Junmai-type sake with a higher polishing ratio (less polished rice) is often described as a style that brings out the rice's natural umami and body.

The polishing ratio is also linked to production cost: the more the rice is polished, the more rice and time it takes to make the same amount of sake. Still, the polishing ratio is only an indicator of stylistic direction; whether a sake suits your personal taste is a separate question.

Nihonshu-do and acidity: flavor tendencies in numbers

The back of the bottle sometimes lists figures such as "日本酒度 +3" or "酸度 1.4". These are not mandatory label items, but many breweries include them as reference information.

• Nihonshu-do (日本酒度, sake meter value or SMV): a figure expressing the sake's specific gravity. The less sugar the sake contains, the further it moves toward plus (+); the more sugar, the further toward minus (-). So, as a general rule, plus is read as tending toward dry (karakuchi) and minus as tending toward sweet (amakuchi).
• Acidity (酸度, sando): the amount of acid in the sake. Higher acidity tends to make the flavor feel richer and more defined, while lower acidity tends to make it feel softer and lighter.
• Amino acid level (アミノ酸度, aminosan-do): a figure related to umami, which is sometimes listed as well.

A sake with the same nihonshu-do can taste less sweet if its acidity is higher, so it is hard to judge flavor from any single number. It is best to look at both figures together and use them only to get a rough sense of direction. Alcohol content is mostly around 15–16%, and genshu, which has no water added, is often stronger than that.

Production terms: namazake, genshu, hiyaoroshi and more

Sake is normally pasteurized by heating (hi-ire, 火入れ) twice during production: once before storage and once before shipping. Its name changes depending on which of these heating steps is skipped.

Namazake, nama-chozoshu, nama-zumeshu, genshu and taruzake are terms defined in the labeling standards. Hiyaoroshi and muroka, on the other hand, are customary industry terms, so their meaning can vary slightly from brewery to brewery. Combining several terms, as in "namagenshu (生原酒)", is also permitted.

Sake rice and production date labeling

Sake rice (酒米, sakamai)

Sake is often made with rice suited to sake brewing (shuzo kotekimai), which differs from the rice people eat with meals. Its grains are large, with a distinct starchy core (shinpaku) at the center, so they are less likely to break even when heavily polished. If the label names a rice variety, you will often see the following names.

• Yamada Nishiki (山田錦): the signature variety widely used for Ginjo and Daiginjo; Hyogo Prefecture is known as its main growing region.
• Gohyakumangoku (五百万石): widely grown in the Hokuriku region, including Niigata.
• Omachi (雄町): an old variety closely associated with Okayama Prefecture.
• Miyama Nishiki (美山錦): a variety grown in cold regions such as Nagano.

Production date (製造年月)

Sake labels show a production date. Here, "production" refers not to the day the sake was brewed but to when it was bottled and sealed. Japanese labels often give it as a year and month, as in "製造年月 2026.03", and sometimes use the Japanese era calendar. Sake rarely makes a point of vintage the way wine does, but some breweries separately state the brewing year (BY, Brewery Year).

Storage and serving-temperature terms

Sake is fairly sensitive to light and heat. It is generally recommended to store it standing upright in a cool place away from direct sunlight and fluorescent light, and namazake, which has never been heated, should as a rule be refrigerated. If the label says "要冷蔵" (yo-reizo, "keep refrigerated"), the product must be kept in the refrigerator. Once opened, the aroma and flavor change easily, so it is best to close the cap tightly and refrigerate it.

Sake has its own names for different serving temperatures, which you may see on labels or menus. Below are expressions commonly used in Japan and their approximate temperatures.

• Reishu (冷酒): chilled, for example in a refrigerator
• Hiya (冷や): originally a word for unheated sake at room temperature, as distinct from chilled sake.
• Nurukan (ぬる燗): gently warmed to around 40℃
• Atsukan (熱燗): warmed to around 50℃

When the label is hard to read, check it with findsool

With brand names written in brush calligraphy and text that mixes kanji and kana, sake labels can make it hard even to read the name. Take a photo of the label with findsool Drink Finder and AI identifies the drink, showing its name, type, origin, estimated price range and a short story behind the label. If you already know the name, you can also search by name.

Sign in to record the sake you've looked up in My Cellar and leave notes and ratings, which makes it easy to keep back-label details such as the polishing ratio and nihonshu-do organized in one place. The most-searched drinks can be seen in the public rankings. Prices shown are estimates, and findsool is an information service that does not sell alcohol.