Sake has long been an inseparable part of Japanese culture. According to one of Japan's oldest legends, sake had its beginnings as a dragon lure. Tale has it that a prince from heaven fell in love with a woman who was at the risk of a merciless dragon. To save his beloved, the prince lured the dragon away with vats of sake he had prepared for the dragon. The dragon, who was enjoying the sake, became defenseless and was conquered by the hero of the tale.

In traditional Japanese life, sake has an important place at festivals, ceremonies and rituals. Whether imbibed during the vows at a formal wedding ceremony or at a lively festival, sake has customarily symbolized the miracle of nature. Brewed from rice which at one time was used as a form of currency in Japan, sake also has represented a sense of abundance and wealth.

Sake's strongest connection with Japanese culture lays in its traditional indispensability at social gatherings. Japanese literature is abundant with stories in which sake was enjoyed at sumptuous court banquets, moon-viewing parties and casual hours spent at the local pub. Many social traditions involving sake continue to be a part of the modern lifestyle. Today, as over 1000 years ago when the tradition is said to have first stared, each spring the Japanese enjoy drinking sake with friends under blossoms of cherry trees around the country.

By tradition, sake is poured for one another. Though seemingly simple, this polite gesture creates a social opportunity by indicating recognition for another's needs. As in days of yore, the role of sake is to set an atmosphere for good conversation and congeniality.