Ki-ippon

【English】

”Pure sake”

【Japanese】

生一本

There are various theories about the meaning of the expression Ki-ippon, but the authoritative Japanese dictionary Kojien (long “o”) glosses it as meaning something “pure and unadulterated”. Currently, the Standards for Production, Quality and Labeling for Seishu stipulate the term may only be used on the label “ in the case of a junmai-shu brewed solely at a single production facility”. A “single” (単一) production facility means a facility which can be considered to be a single, complete production facility under Liquor Tax Law. This means that blended sake from two different production facilities owned by the same firm (or sake which has been blended with the product of a second firm) cannot be labeled Ki-ippon. Until these Standards were established, Ki-ippon was understood to mean Nada no Ki-ippon.