Hiire, low temperature sterilization process of Japanese sake brewing, was first studied by European scientists in the late 1870's. To their surprise the process had widely been carried out for more than 300 years, and it is now believed to be the oldest "pasteurization" in the world. The author described the historical development of the process in Japan. Sterilization of sake may have first been recorded by the early 16th century, several decades earlier than previously believed. The process then became popular by the late 17th century and heating temperature was as low as pasteurization. In China sterilization of alcoholic beverages was first recorded in Beishan Jiujlng (1117). Here two sterilization methods are described, but heating temperature was much higher. The possibility that this Chinese process had an effect on hiire is still uncertain. Although low temperature sterilization was invented in Japan, hiire was not a perfect process. It was invented as a result of long experience and perception, not from microbiological research as pasteurization. So scientists from Europe pointed out defects of the process and suggested improvement of the equipments and addition of salicylic acid, respectively. It took many years to make the process perfect and the author thinks that hiire is overestimated in these days.
