History of Mirin

There are two main theories about the origin of mirin: one suggests it was introduced from China, while the other claims it originated in Japan. According to the Chinese origin theory, a sweet alcoholic beverage called mirinchin (密林檎)—described in the Ming dynasty text Tongya (通雅)—was brought to the Ryukyu Islands and Kyushu during the Sengoku period. (Another version of this theory suggests the route went from the Ryukyu Islands to Osaka.) The Japanese origin theory proposes that mirin was developed by adding shōchū to traditional Japanese liquors such as renshu (練酒) and hakushu (白酒), which had long existed in Japan. The addition of shōchū helped prevent spoilage, and led to the creation of mirin.

In earlier times, mirin was enjoyed as a drink. During the late Muromachi Sengoku period, the sake industry grew, expanding the market and diversifying the types of sake available. Amid this development, mirin emerged as a sweet and prized alcoholic beverage. Initially favored by the upper classes, it gradually spread among the common people during the Edo period.

Mentions of mirin as a drink can be found in historical culinary texts such as Ryōri Kōmoku Chōmi Shō (料理網目調味抄), Kondatesen (献立筌), and Shincho Ryōri Yūchin Himitsubako (新著料理柚珍秘密箱). In Kondatesen, one menu reads, “First offering: amazake, served in a hot-water pot; second offering: mirin, served in a metal pot; third offering: white sake, ladled from a jar,” proffering a series of sweet alcoholic beverages. A senryū (comic haiku) from the Edo period also reflects mirin’s appeal, “Mirin took effect—so the bride brought out her koto,” suggesting that mirin, with its sweet and smooth taste, was a source of enjoyment, particularly for women.

It is said that the production of mirin began in Kamigata, the Kansai area, such as Osaka. During the Edo period, due to sake and mirin which entered from Kamigata, the brewing industry in Edo lost its momentum and found itself in dire straits. At that time, it was Monjiro Horikiri, a second-generation master at the Sagamiya sake brewery in the Nagareyama area of Shimousa Province (present day Nagareyama City in Chiba Prefecture), who took action. In order to overcome the situation where mirin from Kamigata dominated, he produced a new kind of mirin, “Shiromirin”, literally meaning “white mirin”. The primary difference between traditional mirin and shiromirin is its sparkling beauty and transparency. What made this possible is said to be a filtration process using the highest quality Habutae silk. This is a highly precise filtration method which uses plain-woven silk fabric to carefully remove fine sediments. Shiromirin is also characterized by its elegant and rich taste. There are various theories behind the development of its rich taste with a concentrated sweetness, umami, and flavor, such as the use of pure Edogawa water and high-quality sticky rice grown with this water, improvements in whitening and filtration technologies, and shortening the lead time to Edo (present day Tokyo). This revolutionary shiromirin was born in 1814, when the food culture of the Edo period blossomed.

In fact, it took 10 years for the revolutionary shiromirin to become popular among Edo people. It is thought this was because, due to no media existing to spread awareness of the product at the time, there was no demand for shiromirin until people became familiar with it, and furthermore wholesalers sold it at a high price. In order to get people to know about shiromirin, Monjiro himself traveled around the country to sell the product. His steady efforts bore fruit, and mirin gradually became popular among Edo people who loved to try new things. It had even come to be said that when speaking of mirin, Nagareyama came to mind.

The town of Edo was known as the City of Food and was lined with many restaurants. As its food culture developed, not only ingredients but also seasonings diversified. The role of mirin changed from alcoholic drink to seasoning. In the late Edo period, mirin began to be featured prominently in many recipe books. Around the same time, the shipment volume of Koikuchi shoyu, dark soy sauce, produced in the Kanto area exceeded that of soy sauce from Kamigata. The combination of soy sauce and mirin had been established as Edo-mae, or old Tokyo, flavor. Unagi no kabayaki, grilled eel teriyaki basted with soy sauce and mirin, gained popularity.

Shiromirin, which had become popular all over the country as an Azuma meibutsu, a specialty of the Kanto area, received the ultimate honor. Shiromirin was to be presented to the imperial court as a specialty of Edo. Monjiro expressed his joy as follows.

「関東の 誉れはこれぞ 一力で 上なき味淋 醸すさがみや」
“Kanto no homare ha korezo ichiriki de uenaki mirin kamosu Sagamiya.”
（相模屋は関東でこの上なく上質なみりんを醸造している）
(The Sagamiya sake brewery brews the highest quality mirin in the Kanto area.)

The product of Manjo, the origin of the Manjo brand, was born, combining the words Ichiriki, by his own efforts, and Ue, something better. Its production was temporarily suspended due to the turmoil at the end of the Edo period, but following the Meiji Restoration, Monjiro the fifth-generation head of the Horikiri family, revived his family business and the production of mirin regained momentum. The 1873 Vienna World's Fair provided a further boost to this momentum. Mirin produced by the Horikiri family and the Akimoto family, the most renowned families of Nagareyama, was exhibited at the fair, making it known throughout Japan and the world that mirin was a world-class Japanese seasoning. In addition, Manjo was appointed as a purveyor to the Imperial Household Agency in 1877. It had established a status worthy of being called the best in the world.

When the wave of industrialization flooded in during the late Meiji period, mirin factories were the first in the industry to install boilers in an effort to improve their production efficiency. Furthermore, when World War I broke out, Japan experienced an unprecedented economic boom. As the number of workers increased, a culture of dining out took root among the masses. Mirin expanded its role. Meanwhile, as competitors were also able to produce high-quality mirin, Monjiro Horikiri the sixth prepared for competition by strengthening his organization. Manjo Mirin Co., Ltd. was established in 1917 and merged with Noda Shoyu Co., Ltd., the predecessor of Kikkoman Corporation, in 1925.

However, with the onset of World War II, it was extremely difficult to procure raw materials. There was a period when the production of mirin had to be suspended.

The production of mirin was revived in the 1950s. In 1959 and 1962, an alcohol tax on mirin was significantly reduced, which made it possible to sell it at a lower price. In 1967, the production volume of mirin finally exceeded that of prewar maximum production. In addition, the product name of mirin began to be used to distinguish it from mirin-style seasonings, which were widely available at the time.

In 1996, regulations for licenses to sell alcohol were eased, and mirin became available at supermarkets. Since then, mirin has helped create “the taste of homemade.”
Our days are full of ready-to-eat foods, such as fast food and frozen foods. Mirin is a guidepost leading us to the mild and comforting taste of home cooking.