Cooking sake

How to read Japanese cooking sake labels

When comparing cooking sake (料理酒) sold in Japan, the mandatory label block on the back or side of the package provides the exact ingredient breakdown required under Japan's Food Labeling Standards (or Household Goods Quality Labeling Act for detergents and cosmetics). On Urayomi, we photograph or verify the official manufacturer disclosure for each item and separate base ingredients from food additives.

Products reviewed on this shelf include 日の出 純米料理酒 1.8L (キング醸造, no food additives), 日の出 料理酒（醇良）1.0L (キング醸造, 2 additives) and ミツカン 純米料理酒 1L (ミツカン, no food additives).

How many cooking sake products on Urayomi contain no food additives?

Out of 3 cooking sake products whose Japanese back-of-package labels we have transcribed on Urayomi, 2 products are made with zero food additives, and 1 contain one or more food additives (an average of 0.7 food additives per product).

What ingredients and food additives appear most often on Japanese cooking sake labels?

The most common primary ingredients across these 3 products are 食塩, 米, 米こうじ, 米・米こうじの醸造調味料, たんぱく加水分解物. Frequently used food additives include 酒精, 酸味料.

How do you check for food additives on a Japanese cooking sake package?

Under Japan's Food Labeling Standards, food ingredients are listed first in descending order by weight, followed by a full-width slash (／) or line break, after which all food additives (such as emulsifiers, seasonings, or preservatives) are listed.

To paste and analyze any Japanese ingredient list (原材料名) yourself, use the Ingredient Checker, or browse our Ingredients A–Z and Food Additive Database comparing Japan's rules with EU (EFSA) and US regulations.