The bakufu never entirely prohibited sake brewing because tax yields from sake breweries were an important revenue for the bakufu and the existence of sake was not to be ignored due to its adjustment function of the price of rice, and also in domains in northern Japan such as Tohoku and Hokuriku regions, sake was no luxury item whatsoever but an essential good to warm the inhabitants.
しかし、幕府としても酒蔵からの税収は貴重な財源であり、米価の調節機構としても酒の存在は無にしてはならず、また東北や北陸の北国諸藩では酒はけっして贅沢品ではなく身体を温める必需品であったので、まったく酒造りを禁じてしまうということはなかった。