No– They are similar and often used interchangeably in recipes. It’s no wonder people get confused or assume they are two different names for the same rice product. Mirin is a rice wine, and rice vinegar is, of course, vinegar. The most significant difference is the sweeter notes of mirin and the additional steps in producing rice vinegar to remove the alcohol. It’s also beneficial to know that “rice wine vinegar” is just another term for rice vinegar.