Sugidama 杉玉 traditions

日本酒をもっと楽しもう！－日本酒と杉玉の関係

If you've ever had the opportunity to explore a sake brewery in Japan, you might have noticed a unique sight at the entrance – round objects hanging from the eaves known as Sugidama.

酒蔵の幹下に吊り下がっている大きな玉。見たことはあるけれど実際、あの玉は何を象徴しているのか、どんな意味があるのか知らない人は多いのではないでしょうか。

今日はそんな「杉玉」についてご紹介します。

These intriguing spheres are crafted by gathering the tips of cedar leaves and forming them into balls. Annually, fresh sugidama are hung around the time when new sake is produced. The colour of these balls transforms from vibrant green to rich brown over the course of the year. The appearance of sugidama signals the completion of new sake, coinciding with the season when sake breweries celebrate their annual openings which happens around December.

As the vibrant green shades gradually give way, it marks the transition into the hot summer season. During this time, you'll find a variety of refreshing and crisp "summer sake" products available in stores.

In autumn, the sugidama reflects the traditional Japanese colour known as "kare-iro" or dead color. This signifies that the sake has undergone a maturation process during the summer in the brewery, resulting in a fuller and richer flavour. It offers a unique tasting experience distinct from that of new or summer sake.

造られたばかりの杉玉は緑色をしています。これは、新酒ができた目印であり、季節が移り変わるとともに色褪せ秋には枯れて茶色く「枯色」に表情を変えます。この枯色は「ひやおろしが楽しめる季節ですよ！」ということを知らせてくれます。このように、杉玉の色で何が旬の日本酒なのか一目見て判断できるなんて、趣深いですね。

However, the narrative is slightly different in the olden days: they'd hang a green Sugidama at the start of the brewing season, and when it turned brown, it meant the fresh sake from the new season was ready to be released, typically around February. In bygone times, villagers eagerly knocked on the brewery doors, anxiously inquiring, "Is the sake ready? Is it ready yet?" The response was simple: keep an eye on the Sugidama's color. When it's no longer green, that's the signal – it's time to come and buy your sake.

ちなみに、現代では杉玉の色はお酒の熟成具合を表しますが、その昔、緑の杉玉は「新酒の搾りを始めました」、また茶色の杉玉は出荷の頃合いを外のお客様へお知らせするサインでした。

So, why use cedar leaves, and what do they symbolize? Japan has a longstanding connection with cedar, dating back to ancient times when Japanese sake was crafted using cedar barrels and tools. Cedar was believed to have auspicious properties, preventing the growth of mould and bacteria in sake brewing sites. Today, you might even enjoy sake in cedar cups.

Sugidamas found across the country are crafted at the Oomiwa Shrine on Mount Miwa in Nara Prefecture, a shrine closely tied to sake. Renowned as a place dedicated to the god of sake, Oomiwa Shrine played a crucial role in producing omiki (sacred sake) for Shinto rituals of the Yamato Imperial Court.

A significant event related to sake is the Brewing Safety Prayer Festival, held annually on November 14. This festival gathers sake brewers from all corners of Japan to pray for the safe brewing of new sake. After the festival, sugidamas are awarded to attendees. This tradition of attending the festival, taking home, and displaying a sugidama made from the cedar of Mount Miwa has been passed down to sake breweries nationwide.

If you ever find yourself visiting a sake brewery, take a moment to observe the colour of the cedar balls – each shade of colour tells a story of the sake-making process and the changing seasons!

杉玉の発祥は大神神社。奈良県桜井市、三輪山にあるこの神社はお酒の神様がお祭りされています。大神神社の御神体でもある三輪山の杉の葉を集めて丸めた杉玉は、全国からお参りに訪れた蔵人がお守りとして持ち帰ったことに由来します。毎年１１月１４日に行われる醸造安全祈願には全国から酒造関係者が参列し、持ち帰った杉玉は神様へ感謝や祈りをこめてお守りとして飾られるようになりました。

また、杉には抗菌力が備わっていることから、昔から日本酒造りにおいて欠かせない麹蓋や樽といった様々な道具に使われてきました。古代から日本酒造りをそばで見守ってきた杉　－　そんな杉をお守りとして飾る酒蔵に今度足を運んだ際には、杉玉の色をよく見て日本酒を味わいつつ、季節を感じ取り風情を楽しんでみてはいかがでしょうか。