Research & Sources for A History of Sake Brewing in the U.S.

Research & Source Notes for A History of Sake Brewing in the U.S.

First, please note that the original version of this article was posted in April 2015, and has seen multiple expansions/revisions over the years due to additional research. My research hasn't stopped so there will likely be additional expansions/revisions in the future.

Second, the information within this article has been gathered from over 200 sources, including newspapers, journals, books, websites, and more. Some articles I found were reprinted in multiple newspapers but I've only included the earliest publication of the article. I also have some additional sources which I haven't yet used, but will in the future.

Third, although all of this information is readily available to any diligent researcher, gathering all of the relevant information is a laborious and time consuming activity, which requires searching through many thousands of potential articles, especially in old newspaper archives. It takes much dedication and discipline to put together all of the tidbits of information into a coherent whole. However, I find it quite satisfying.

Fourth, the basic idea behind this article is to illuminate a history of Sake which hadn't been previously explored in any depth. It also hopes to correct some historical misconceptions, especially concerning the identity of the first U.S. Sake brewery. The article is also a way to pay homage to the numerous passionate people who contributed to producing Sake in the U.S. throughout our country's history.

Fifth, I'm proud that an earlier version of this history formed a foundation for a scholarly journal article in Japan.

Sixth, more research is certainly needed, and I'm continuing my own efforts. In addition, on-site research is warranted as well, such as visiting city and town halls and delving through their records.  If you possess any additional information about the history of Sake brewing in the U.S., please contact me.

NEWSPAPERS

Berkeley Daily Gazette
January 10, 1905; July 23, 1906 

The Capital
December 6, 1902

Chicago Tribune
August 7, 1941; June 30, 1980

Connorsville Daily Examiner (IN)
April 4, 1892

Decatur Daily Democrat (IN)
April 8, 1892

Evening Bulletin
June 16, 1896; December 14, 1897; April 6, 1898; August 1909; October 30, 1909

Evening Star
April 5, 1895; July 7, 1896; July 6, 1897

The Garden Island
April 23, 1918

The Hawaiian Gazette
June 16, 1896; January 31, 1902; September 8, 1905; June 30, 1908; November 4, 1913; August 14, 1917

The Hawaii Herald
October 11, 1918

Hawaii Tribune-Herald
November 8, 1918; April 6, 1920; December 24, 1921; January 2, 1935; February 5, 1935; April 4, 1935; May 14, 1935; May 24, 1935; December 20, 1938; May 1, 1940; April 9, 1950

The Hawaiian Star
June 16, 1896; March 21, 1905; April 28, 1908; July 10, 1908; February 13, 1909

Hilo Daily Tribune
May 17, 1918; March 7, 1919; July 24, 1921

The Honolulu Advertiser
July 9, 1908; September 5, 1908; November 16, 1908; January 8, 1909; January 27, 1909; September 22, 1913; April 28, 1914; April 11, 1916; June 8, 1916; July 6, 1916; August 6, 1918; March 3, 1919; March 4, 1919; March 5, 1919; August 4, 1920; December 19, 1928; January 26, 1934; February 10, 1934; February 16, 1934; February 22, 1934; October 27, 1934; May 18, 1937; January 14, 1938; June 30, 1939; August 28, 1945; June 20, 1948; November 14, 1948; April 19, 1961; September 18, 1961; December 1, 1961; January 1, 1962; September 8, 1967; December 13, 1968; January 17, 1971; November 16, 1978

Honolulu Ke Alakai O Hawaii
February 18, 1937

Honolulu Republican
August 1, 1901

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
February 7, 1904; May 27, 1904

Honolulu Star-Bulletin
November 23, 1912; December 31, 1912; May 5, 1913; March 23, 1914; December 31, 1914; September 24, 1915; February 14, 1916; March 2, 1916; July 8, 1916; August 10, 1917; August 13, 1917; August 29, 1917; September 12, 1917; September 20, 1917; October 29, 1917; March 5, 1918; March 8, 1918; March 9, 1918; April 10, 1918; April 13, 1918; May 9, 1918; June 13, 1918; May 24, 1921; December 19, 1928; September 2, 1933; January 27, 1934; February 14, 1934; February 19, 1934; February 21, 1934; September 21, 1934; October 26, 1934; December 7, 1934; January 9, 1935; February 27, 1935; November 30, 1935; December 9, 1935; September 28, 1937; November 7, 1939; August 22, 1941; June 19, 1948; September 15, 1952; January 19, 1957; December 2, 1959; April 19, 1961; August 14, 1967; September 22, 1967; February 18, 1969; March 29, 1976

The Independent
March 6, 1897

The Inter Ocean (IL)
April 5, 1892

Kawai Shinpo
May 28, 1940

La Verne Leader (CA)
September 24, 1970

Las Vegas Sun
May 8, 1969

Los Angeles Herald
April 6, 1895; August 18, 1895; July 26, 1901; November 22, 1905; July 12, 1906; May 19, 1908; October 9, 1908;  February 11, 1909; June 26, 1909

Mariposa Gazette
June 3, 1905

The Maui News
July 18, 1908

New York Daily Herald
June 27, 1854

Nichebei Shinbun
May 26, 1934; September 10, 1934

Oak Park Times (IL)
November 19, 1901

Oakland Tribune
February 20, 1906; September 21, 1907

Oregon City Banner Courier
March 30, 1922

Oxnard Press Courier (CA)
April 7, 1965

The Pacific Commercial Advertiser
June 16, 1896; March 6, 1897; April 6, 1898; January 29, 1908; September 5, 1908; January 8, 1909; January 27, 1909

Pacific Rural Press
March 14, 1896; June 20, 1896

Pittsburg Dispatch
April 7, 1892

Pittsburgh Daily Post
September 13, 1854

The Press Democrat
November 27, 1945

Reading Eagle
March 3, 1971

Rochester Daily Republican (IN)
April 7, 1892

Sacramento Daily Union
February 18, 1856; July 31, 1897

San Diego Union
July 15, 1934

San Dimas Press (CA)
October 9, 1968

San Francisco Call
November 16, 1894; June 28, 1896; July 20, 1901; August 13, 1901; February 26, 1904; May 27, 1904; July 8, 1904; March 17, 1905; June 2, 1905; June 7, 1905; May 24, 1906; July 11, 1906; December 12, 1906; February 3, 1907; November 12, 1907; January 9, 1908; January 31, 1908; April 16, 1908; April 28, 1908; May 8, 1908; May 13, 1908; May 19, 1908; December 1, 1908;  March 22, 1909; January 4, 1910; December 18, 1910; January 23, 1911; June 6, 1911

San Francisco Chronicle
January 16, 1915; November 26, 1942

The San Francisco Examiner
March 24, 1918; March 30, 1979

The Seattle Star
March 14, 1921

The Times-Picayune
March 13, 1856

The Tribune
February 28, 1971

Wailuku Maui News
October 8, 1941

Weekly National Intelligencer
November 5, 1853

The Weekly Star (NC)
April 15, 1892

JOURNALS

American Brewers' Review
Volume 20, January 1, 1906; Volume 23, January 1, 1909; Volume 29, January 1915; Volume 31, January 1917

Merck’s Report
Vol.14, 1905

BOOKS

American Breweries II by Dale P. Van Wieren (1995)

It Came from Berkeley: How Berkeley Changed the World by Dave Weinstein (2008)

History of Alameda County, California, Vol.2 (1883)

Prisoners of War: Archaeology, Memory, and Heritage of 19th- and 20th-Century Mass Internment edited by Harold Mytum & Gilly Carr (2012)

The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage by Rachel Laudan (1996)

Voices from the Canefields: Folksongs from Japanese Immigrant Workers in Hawai'i by Franklin Odo (2013)

Encyclopedia of Japanese American History by Japanese American National Museum (2000)

Japanese in America by E. Manchester Boddy (1921)

WEBSITES

http://www.oldbreweries.com

http://www.pre-pro.com/Edmonson/pages/HSG92.html

http://www.japantownatlas.com/share/SanJose_Jtown_1940.pdf

http://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/handle/10524/604/JL31149.pdf

http://brucemobley.com/beerbottlelibrary/ca/sanfrancisco/japan.htm

http://www.gekkeikan.co.jp/pdf/brochure_english.pdf

http://www.nichibei.org/2014/09/book-sheds-light-on-san-jose-japantowns-rich-history-and-culture/

http://www.sanjoseca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/26304

http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2006/01/30/beer_making_in_san_jose_part_one/

http://www.soyinfocenter.com/pdf/146/JAD.pdf

http://www.economist.com/node/151984

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jrbh2004/21/0/21_0_33/_pdf