NO CLAIM IS MADE TO EITHER OF THE JAPANESE CHARACTERS OR "JAPANESE SAKE," APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN.
THE JAPANESE CHARACTERS ARE TRANSLATED AS FOLLOWS: THE CHARACTERS ON THE LEFT ARE TRANSLITERATED TO MEAN "KUNAICHO GO-YO-TATSU," WHICH MEANS "PURVEYORS TO THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD AGENCY"; AND THE CHARACTERS ON THE RIGHT TRANSLITERATE TO "NADA NO KI-IPPON," WHICH MEANS "PURE NADA RICE WINE." "NADA" IS A PLACE FAMOUS FOR ITS PRODUCTION OF RICE WINE. THE WORD "KIKU" MEANS "CHRYSANTHEMUM"; AND THE WORD "MASAMUNE" IS THE NAME OF A FAMOUS JAPANESE SWORD MAKER, DECEASED.