The UN body gave its approval yesterday, recognizing the value of the traditional alcoholic beverage. It is the result of an ancient technique of fermenting rice and other ingredients with fungi called koji. For producers it is an opportunity to promote their value in the country and abroad. In 2026, the government wants calligraphy to be included shodo.
Tokyo () – Traditional Japanese knowledge and skills used for the production of sake and distilled beverages shochu They have become part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage. The approval of the Committee of the United Nations organization that was known yesterday recognizes the value of the knowledge involved in the production of the traditional alcoholic beverage from the Country of the Rising Sun, the result of an ancient technique of fermenting rice and other ingredients with fungi koji. This is a unique production method in which multiple fermentations are carried out simultaneously in a single container.
The approval, explains Kyodo Newsmarks Japan’s 23rd entry on the list, after an advisory group to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recommended its inclusion in November. The postulators wanted to underline in this way the importance and value that this has in the culture and tradition of Japanese society.
UNESCO experts affirm that the production of sake It is essential for some traditional celebrations in the Far Eastern country, starting with rituals and weddings, and also contributes to the unity of local communities. With inclusion on the list, the drink’s producers aim to expand exports, revitalize local economies and transmit traditional skills to new generations in a context of falling domestic consumption.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also welcomed the decision of the UN body and stated in a statement that the production of sake It is “a technique we can be proud of in the world.” The head of Government added that “we will pass it on to the next generation and we will take advantage of this opportunity to promote the revitalization of the entire region and to expand its presence abroad.”
The industry was eagerly awaiting the listing, and around twenty representatives of the Saké and Shochu Producers Association had gathered to witness the announcement in Kumamoto, southwestern Japan. And while the crowd applauded the news, Masaharu Honda, the septuagenarian director of the association, proposed, to celebrate, a toast with the sake that is produced in the region. “This – said Honda – is a cup of pure joy.”
Marika Tazawa, president of a travel agency that offers a night tour of a distillery in Nagano prefecture, central Japan, to experience the making of the sakeadded that the recognition represents “a strong stimulus for the sector. I hope – he stated – that it will lead to greater recognition and grow its status.” The alcoholic beverages that are traditionally produced in Japan are the sakehe shochuhe awamori and the mirina sweet rice wine for cooking. He awamoriwhich is produced in Okinawa Prefecture, is considered the oldest spirit in the Land of the Rising Sun and dates back approximately 600 years, with a traditional production method inherited from the Kingdom of Ryukyu, annexed to Japan in 1879.
Tokyo had submitted the candidacy for the production of sake in 2022, for it to be included on the list, and formal approval took place at the session of the UNESCO intergovernmental committee in Asunción, Paraguay. He sake It joins other already recognized Japanese intangible heritages, such as the performing arts Noh and Kabuki and traditional cuisine washoku. The Japanese government has also proposed that calligraphy be included shodo in intangible cultural heritage in 2026, when the UN body will conduct the next biennial review of nominations.
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