Also known as o-toso, it is a medicinal, spiced sake commonly drank for occasions such as New Year’s (historically, this would be different from modern conventions of using the New Year’s day that coincides with the beginning of the Gregorian calendar). Though I referred to it as a sake, it is not strictly sake. It could be a mirin or a mixture of the two, spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and other seasonings.

Traditionally, o-toso is meant to be drank to flush out the bad things (maladies, bad luck, illness, etc.) of the previous year and/or ward those very things off for the new year. Just like with all traditions of a similar nature, they will vary a bit based off of the region, so I recommend doing a bit of reading on your own if you are interested about the history of the beliefs associated with toso as a New Year’s tradition. Fun fact: it is a new year’s tradition to eat black eyed peas to start off the new year in the American south.

Though primarily associated with Japan in the modern era, o-toso can be traced back to the Han dynasty of China. Well, specifically, this pertains to the idea of medicinal sake and the mix that would evolve into toso. This mixture would migrate to Japan in the Heian period, which lasted from the late eighth century to the late twelfth century.