Sake Brewing's Intangible Heritage: The 808 Practitioners Today
The preservation association for UNESCO-listed traditional sake brewing has published its annual report, showing the state of its 808 bearers and its push to communicate in English.
The heritage carried by 808 “holders”
In December 2024, Japan’s “traditional sake brewing” was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. What was inscribed is not any particular brand, but the craft itself: making sake, honkaku shochu, awamori and hon-mirin with koji mould. Koji is a type of mould grown on rice and other grains to aid fermentation. The association set up to pass this craft on to the next generation, the Preservation Association for Sake Brewing Techniques Using Japanese Traditional Koji Mould, has published its activity report for fiscal 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026).
According to the report, 808 people are registered as “holders” of the craft. Together with 72 supporters, total membership came to 880. In the previous fiscal year there were 817 holders and 889 members. Over the year 16 people joined and 25 left, so membership has dipped slightly. Behind the cheerful news of the inscription, the quiet challenge of keeping up the number of practitioners continues.
Conveying the art of “kimoto” in English
The association also worked on communication abroad. “Kimoto” is a technique for cultivating the starter (shubo), the starting point of fermentation, by the traditional, labour-intensive method. It released a video documenting kimoto with English subtitles, and produced and distributed an English edition of its explanatory leaflet, “Koji and Sake Brewing”. It also distributed a booklet compiling interviews with veteran toji (head brewers). In Japan, it supported seminars and exhibitions at the Osaka-Kansai Expo and at large tasting events. On the other hand, annual page views of the association’s website fell from about 17,000 the previous year to about 13,000. How to hold on to the interest generated right after the inscription is also an open question.
A path towards “Living National Treasure” status
Particularly noteworthy in the report is the explanation received from the Agency for Cultural Affairs in December 2025. Under Japan’s domestic system, traditional sake brewing is currently a “Registered Intangible Cultural Property”. If it is judged to be of particular historical importance, it could be designated a higher-ranking “Important Intangible Cultural Property”. In that case, a path would open for its holders to be recognised as “Living National Treasures”. If a sake-brewing craftsperson were to become a Living National Treasure, the esteem in which brewers are held, at home and abroad, could change greatly.
If you want to enjoy this story in Europe, look for the word “Kimoto” on the label. Kimoto sake generally has a firm acidity and umami, and is said to hold up well at room temperature or lightly warmed. Watching the association’s English-subtitled video before you drink should bring the handiwork in your glass closer. Bear in mind, too, that what UNESCO inscribed is the technique itself: a product advertising “UNESCO” does not mean the sake is of any special grade.
Sources
This article was written by The Sake Wire editorial team, summarising the public sources listed above. Images are our own.
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