Junmai (純米) translates to “Pure(純) Rice(米),” and it signifies sake made solely from rice and water, without the inclusion of distilled alcohol.
There are quite a few people who believe in a “Junmai-only” philosophy. However, if you understand the two major reasons for using distilled alcohol:
1. To emphasize the aroma and sharpness of the sake.
2. To increase the volume of sake (cost-cutting).
You might find yourself interested in Daiginjyo (大吟醸) sake, which includes distilled alcohol for the first reason. In reality, many Daiginjyo sakes are of high quality. When people actually try them, quite a few are pleasantly surprised, exclaiming, “Even if it’s not Junmai, there’s sake this delicious!”
The negative perception towards sake with added distilled alcohol largely comes from the second reason. This brewing method was employed during World War II to increase the volume of sake. Even the brewers knew that this wouldn’t result in high-quality sake, but they did it anyway.
The issue lies in the fact that this brewing method continued even after the war ended. Perhaps it was due to the difficulties in changing the equipment, or because post-war Japan was still recovering economically. Either way, the mass production of such sake until the latter half of the 20th century led to a steep decline in its popularity within Japan.
Recognizing that “something had to be done,” some breweries started making sake without added alcohol, returning to pre-war brewing methods. These breweries began to sell Junmai sake.
Once people tried this sake and compared it to sake made with added alcohol (mostly for the second reason), opinions like “Junmai sake is better than sake with added alcohol!” began to circulate. These opinions have gradually propagated, fostering a “Junmai-only” mindset.
By the way, in Japan, sake with added alcohol is commonly referred to as “Al-ten.” This comes from “Alcohol-added,” but it’s often used pejoratively to signify “cheap sake” since it’s generally employed for the second reason. (For pronunciation, saying “Al” as in “Alcohol,” followed by “ten” as 10, will make it understandable to Japanese speakers.)