Koji - Kiku

...The word "jo" is a combination of the character "yuu" (rooster), which means a barrel or sake jar, and the character "jou" (sho), which means to fill something inside, and refers to stocking raw materials in a container such as a sake jar and brewing sake, vinegar, miso, soy sauce, etc. Koji (malt) was called "kamutachi" (additive) because of the way mold spores fly around (Wamyosho), and the act of mixing kamutachi to make sake was called "kasumo" (brewing) (Kojikiden). There is also a theory that jo is related to "kamu" (chewing), citing a record in the Osumi no Kuni Fudoki that says sake was made by "chewing" rice with the mouth (Wakunshiori)....

*Some of the terminology that mentions "koji" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…醸とは，樽や酒つぼを意味する酉（ゆう）の字と，なかに物をつめる意の襄（じよう）の字をあわせたもので，酒つぼなどの容器に原料を仕入んで，酒，食酢，みそ，しょうゆなどを醸（かも）すことを意味する。カビの胞子がとび散るさまから麴（こうじ）のことを〈加無太知（かむたち）〉とよび(《和名抄》)，かむたちをまぜて酒を造ることを〈醸（かすも）〉といった(《古事記伝》)。また口で米を〈咀（かみ）て〉酒を造ったという《大隅国風土記》の記録を引用して醸は〈嚼（かむ）〉に通ずるとする説もある(《和訓栞》)。…

※「麴」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