From Ancient Medicine to National Obsession
Umeshu (梅酒) – the sweet-tart, almond-scented Japanese plum liqueur – feels timeless, but it is actually a relatively “young” tradition that only became widespread in the last 150 years.
Here is the full story, from its ancient roots to its current status as Japan’s most beloved homemade (and commercial) alcoholic drink.
Ancient & Medieval Period (Pre-1600): Ume as Medicine, Not Liqueur
The ume plum (Prunus mume) itself arrived in Japan from China via Korea around the 6th–8th centuries (Nara period), along with Buddhism and Chinese medicine.
In the Heian period (794–1185), aristocratic physicians prescribed pickled umeboshi and ume-infused vinegars for digestion, fatigue, and even hangovers.
There are early records of soaking ume in sake or distilled liquor for medicinal purposes as early as the Kamakura period (1185–1333), but these were tiny batches made by doctors and temples – not something ordinary people drank for pleasure.
Edo Period (1603–1868): The True Birth of Umeshu
The modern story of umeshu begins here.
By the mid-1700s, cheap white liquor (shochu) distilled from barley, sweet potato, or rice became widely available in western Japan (Kyushu and Shikoku).
Farmers in Wakayama (now Japan’s ume capital) and Osaka started soaking green ume plums with rock sugar and shochu in large earthenware pots.
This was originally done for preservation: green ume are extremely sour and astringent, but after a year in sugar and alcohol they become delicious.
Wealthy merchant families in Osaka and Kyoto began gifting these homemade plum liqueurs to each other during summer Obon and New Year.
The name “umeshu” first appears in written records around 1750–1780 in Kansai-region documents.
Key turning point:
In 1820, a famous Osaka pharmacy called “Tsuru-ume” began selling a commercial medicinal umeshu called 鶴梅 (Tsuruume). This is widely considered the first commercial umeshu in history.
Meiji to Early Showa (1868–1945): From Home to Factory
After the Meiji Restoration, alcohol taxes were introduced. Homemade umeshu was technically illegal without a license (because it’s made with added sugar), but enforcement was almost zero in rural areas.
In 1899, the Choya company (originally a grape wine maker) launched the first nationally distributed umeshu using only Japanese ume and sugar.
By the 1920s–1930s, department stores in Tokyo and Osaka sold bottled umeshu as a fashionable ladies’ drink – sweet, low-alcohol (12–15%), and “healthier” than sake or whisky.
During World War II, sugar rationing nearly killed the category, but families kept tiny secret batches going.
Post-War Boom (1950s–1980s): The Homemade Revolution
1960s: Japan’s economy explodes. Suddenly every household has glass jars, freezers, and access to rock sugar.
Women’s magazines (Shufu no Tomo, etc.) begin publishing annual “How to Make Perfect Umeshu” guides in May–June when green ume hit the markets.
Making umeshu at home becomes a national rite of passage – like pickling cabbage in Germany or kimchi in Korea.
By the 1970s, more than 60% of Japanese households reportedly made their own umeshu at least once.
The 1980s–2000s: Commercial Explosion & Global Fame
1981: Choya launches the iconic yellow-label “Choya Umeshu” with whole plums inside the bottle – instant bestseller.
1990s: Low-alcohol “chu-hai” canned cocktails boom. Umeshu becomes one of the top flavors.
1994: Japan relaxes tax laws – suddenly anyone can legally make umeshu at home without a license (as long as you don’t sell it). This law change is celebrated every year as the reason homemade umeshu survives.
2000s: Artisanal and aged umeshu (3–20 years old) start appearing from small producers in Wakayama and Nara. Some bottles now sell for $500+.
Umeshu in 2025: Facts & Figures
Wakayama Prefecture produces ~60% of all Japanese ume (over 100,000 tons annually).
The town of Minabe in Wakayama has the highest per-capita ume tree ownership in the world.
There are now more than 300 commercial umeshu brands, from mass-market Choya to 20-year-aged masterpieces.
Popular modern variations: honey umeshu, yuzu-umeshu blends, nigori (cloudy), and zero-sugar “genshu” styles at 20–30% ABV.
June is officially “Umeshu Month” – supermarkets dedicate entire aisles to green ume, rock sugar, and jars.
Timeline Summary
~600–800 CE Ume fruit arrives from China
~1200–1500 Medicinal ume-soaked liquor used by doctors
~1750–1820 Modern sugar + shochu umeshu invented in Kansai
1820 First commercial umeshu (Tsuruume) sold in Osaka
1899 Choya begins national production
1945–1960 Almost disappears due to sugar shortages
1960s–1970s Mass homemade boom
1994 Home production fully legalized
2000s–present Global export success; aged and artisanal styles emerge
Today, umeshu is the only alcoholic drink that almost every Japanese person has made at least once in their life. It is grandmother’s closet treasure, salaryman’s canned chu-hai, and bartender’s secret weapon all at once.
From a medicinal curiosity in the 1700s to a multibillion-yen industry and the smell of June in every Japanese household – few drinks have climbed so far, so sweetly.
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