TOKYO – UNESCO on Wednesday approved adding Japan’s “Traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with koji mold” to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list during an intergovernmental committee meeting in Asuncion, Paraguay.
The recognition marks the country’s 23rd entry on the list.
The committee commended the sake-making tradition for fostering social ties and strengthening community bonds. It also recognized the cultural importance of sake, which plays an essential role in Japanese festivals, weddings, and rites of passage.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba welcomed the decision, praising the dedication of those who have worked to protect and pass down the craft.
“We will preserve this traditional technique, share it with the next generation, and use this recognition to promote sake brewing both in Japan and overseas. This will support regional revitalization and further expand sake exports,” Ishiba said in a statement.
Rumiko Obata, managing director of Obata Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, expressed hope that the recognition would help protect the history of sake-making while boosting its global presence.
“Through this registration, I hope we can preserve the cultural aspect of making sake. I believe it will encourage more people to recognize its significance and increase exports, helping sake become a stronger symbol of Japan,” she told the Filipino-Japanese Journal.
Her brewery, which makes sake using 100% local resources, began exporting to the Philippines last year, sending 50 cases to Manila in its first shipment.
“I’m surprised by how many Filipinos enjoy sake and how much they know about it. There’s so much potential for growth in the Manila market, and I’m excited to see it develop,” she said. - Florenda Corpuz
