Chapter La via del sake nel Man’yōshū (e dintorni)

Abstract

This essay explores the role of sake in ancient Japan. Drawing from a plurality of texts, with a particular emphasis on the poems collected in the Man’yōshū anthology, the essay will illuminate the multifaceted cultural significance of sake. It will examine how sake served as a mystical connection between god and man, a sacred bond between sovereigns and their subjects, an essential element fostering unity within the political and cultural elite, and a tool for personal ideological expression.