Ikuhi Shrine

...There are several theories about the origin of the name "Toji" (master brewer), including one that it was named after Tokou, the first man to make sake in ancient China; another that the jars used by sake brewers in the Nara and Heian periods were called "Ootoji" or "Kotoji," and later people called sake brewers "Kotoji." Another theory is that before sake brewing began at temples and shrines, sake brewing was the job of the housewife (Kotoji) who managed the household, and that the name "Kotoji" was a variant of the word "Kotoji." In the Sujin chapter of the "Nihon Shoki," it is written that "A man from Takahashi-mura (now Tenri City) named Ikuhi as the sake master of the great god." This is the first record of a master brewer, and Katsuhi Shrine in the grounds of Omiwa Shrine in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, is still a place where master brewers are worshipped. According to the "Ryo no Gige," 60 sake officials from Yamato, Kawachi, and Settsu provinces were engaged in sake brewing at the sake brewery and were exempt from taxation and miscellaneous duties.

*Some of the terminology used in reference to "Katsunichin Shrine" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…杜氏の名の由来については，昔中国で初めて酒をつくった杜康（とこう）の名をとったとする説，奈良･平安時代造酒司（さけのつかさ）が酒をつくるのに用いた壺を〈大刀自（おおとじ）〉〈小刀自（ことじ）〉と呼び，後の人が酒をつくる人をも刀自と呼んだとする説，寺社で酒つくりが行われる以前，酒つくりは家庭を取りしきる主婦(刀自)のしごとであり，刀自が転じたものであるとの説などがある。《日本書紀》の崇神紀に〈高橋邑（たかはしのむら）(現，天理市)の人，活日（いくひ）を以て大神の掌酒（さかびと）とす〉とあり，これが記録に残るはじめての杜氏で，奈良県桜井市の大神（おおみわ）神社境内にある活日神社は現在でも杜氏の信仰を集めている。《令義解（りようのぎげ）》によれば大和，河内，摂津の3国出身の60人の酒部（さかべ）が造酒司で酒造に従事し，彼らは調（ちよう），雑徭（ぞうよう）を免ぜられている。…

※「活日神社」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報