Although the Shi-gou（四合）or 720-mL bottle is commonly used as a standard for sake containers, the origin of its capacity is still debated. This article provides an overview of the introduction of glass bottles and the establishment of domestic production systems, the introduction and development process of bottled sake in the sake industry, and their effects. This article conducted inference regarding the factors behind the origin and establishment of the Shi-gou and 300-mL capacities from historical documents. During the Meiji era (1868-1912), glass bottles were introduced, and the empty imported Western liquor bottles were initially used. Domestic production systems began to be established around 1887 (Meiji 20), and mechanization progressed around 1906 (Meiji 39), gradually strengthening production capacity throughout the Taishō era (1912-1926). In the sake industry, the production of bottled products began on a full scale around the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912). During the Taishō period, the market for bottled sake expanded. This resulted in the establishment of "bottle merchants" who collected and sold empty bottles, and a structure for reusing bottles unique to alcoholic beverages and soy sauce. The Shi-gou bottle is inferred to have originated from Western liquor bottles (known as "reputed quart" bottles), which had a standard capacity of about 750 mL, and the 300-mL bottle was introduced in response to the metric system. It is also inferred that this capacity became established as standards due to the coexistence of domestic and foreign bottles and the reuse of bottles by "bottle merchants".

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In order to show and record the impact of COVID-19 on the consumption of sake, the total monthly shipment volume from sake breweries, which is called a taxed shipment volume and announced by the Japan Sake Makers Association, was expressed as a percentage of pre-pandemic 2018 and 2019 average. As a result, the amount of shipment, which should reflect the consumption of sake, decreased significantly when the declaration of a state of emergency or quasi-emergency measures, as well as requests for restaurants and bars to close or shorten business hours, was issued. On the other hand, when the newly infected numbers were reduced and these measures were lifted, the shipment volume recovered to a certain extent. Thus, there was a repeated increase and decrease of shipment. The impact was greater on specially designated sake such as Ginjo and Junmai, which is generally regarded as premium sake and consumed more at restaurants than standard sake. During the 7th and 8th waves of COVID-19 in the late half of 2022, there were much more new infected persons than before, but no emergency or quasi-emergency declaration was issued, and the reduction in shipment volume was not as serious as before. Compared to 2018-2019, however, the shipment still remains low, around 80-90%, and future trends must be closely watched.

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In the present, there is a growing interest in the incorporation of sustainability perspectives into corporate management. In Japan, sake breweries are not only producers utilizing local resources but also entities that have nurtured sustainable relationships with their local communities over many years. As a response to this heightened interest, a symposium was organized, featuring panelists who are actively engaged in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiatives from their respective vantage points as sake brewers, along with a lecturer in Japanese sake studies from the University of Gastronomic Sciences. The symposium facilitated a discourse encompassing the efforts and philosophies of sake breweries concerning SDGs, and it delved into how Japanese sake is perceived within the academic domain of international food studies. Additionally, the symposium compared Japanese sake with wine and presented case studies of Italian food producers to provide insights into SDGs from the perspective of regional sustainability. This exchange of ideas and experiences contributes to the evolving body of knowledge on aligning Japanese sake and food producers with SDGs, particularly within the context of regional sustainability, a subject of increasing significance.

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