There is actually a day in Japan that is recognized (perhaps not officially) as sake day. October 1st was declared as nihonshu no hi in 1978 by the Japan sake Brewers Association. Many breweries begin brewing before and after that day, but that day is certainly a sign that the brewing season has begun. That being said, in Japan, rice for sake brewing is harvested mainly in September. After removal of the hull of the rice in the field, the brown rice grain is taken from the field and shortly thereafter is run through a rice-polishing machine. The machine polishes away the outer portion of the grain, (the bran), which contains lipids and proteins that would impart bitter, undesirable flavors to the sake. All that remains of the rice is the starch center, the very essence of the sake. The degree to which the grain is polished down has a major effect on the resulting sake's taste and quality.

Following fermentation, the moromi is pressed to remove the solids. After pressing, most sakes are pasteurized and filtered before they are matured in tanks. In most cases, water is added before the sake is bottled. However, the sake world is full of variety, and there are some brewers who specialize in or make unpasteurized (nama), roughly filtered (nigori), and cask strength sake (genshu), to name just a few. In many cases, brewers also fortify the sake with alcohol to enhance aromas and flavors.

Throughout the process, nothing is wasted. Byproducts are used as pillow fillings, fertilizer, cattle feed, and to make shōchū, sweets, and rice crackers. Most notably, however, the polished-off rice grain powder (nuka) and sake lees (kasu) are essential ingredients for the country’s large food-pickling industry.