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Associated Press

Deep in a dark warehouse the sake sleeps, stored in rows of giant tanks, each holding more than 10,000 litres (2,640 gallons) of the Japanese rice wine that is the product of brewing techniques dating back more than 1,000 years.
Junichiro Ozawa, the 18th-generation head of Ozawa Brewery, founded in 1702, hopes sake brewing will win recognition as a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage, when the decision is made in November.
“We always think about the people who’re enjoying our sake when we make it,” he told reporters on Wednesday during a tour of his brewery on the outskirts of Tokyo.
“I’m now so excited, imagining the faces of all the people around the world.”

Sake has been gaining appeal, boosted by the growing international popularity of Japanese cuisine.
Sake exports from Japan totalled more than 41 billion yen (US$265 million) in 2023, with the biggest destinations being the US and China, according to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association. That is up from about 22 billion yen in 2018.
Brazil, Mexico and Southeast Asia, as well as France and the rest of Europe – all places where Japanese restaurants are gaining popularity – are starting to take a liking to sake.
Rice and water are key to sake-making, which takes about two months, including fermentation and pressing.
For a product to be categorised as Japanese sake, the rice must be Japanese. The relatively soft quality of fresh water in Japan, like the supplies provided by the two wells at Ozawa Brewery, is also critical.

Among Ozawa’s sake is the full-bodied aromatic Junmai Daiginjo, one of the top offerings, with 15 per cent alcohol content and costing about 3,630 yen (US$23) for a 720ml bottle.
The brewery’s Karakuti Nigorizake, meanwhile, is unrefined and not clear like usual sake. It has a 17 per cent alcohol content and a rugged no-nonsense taste. It costs 2,420 yen for a 1.8 litre bottle.
The religious connotations of sake are evident at the brewery. The big cedar leaf ball hanging under the eaves is a symbol of a shrine for the god of sake-making. In Japan, sake is used to purify and to celebrate. Sips from a cup signify the sealing of a marriage.
“Sake is not just an alcoholic drink. It is Japanese culture itself,” said Hitoshi Utsunomiya, director of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association.
Sake is more than a drink. It is a living embodiment of Japan’s seasonal rhythms, community values and artistic heritage
Max Del Vita, sake sommelier and co-founder of The Sake Company
The Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage designation is given to not just historical monuments but also practices passed down generations, such as oral traditions, performing arts, rituals and festivals.
It is not meant to be used for commercial purposes. But sake officials make no secret of their hope that it will boost global sales, helping the tradition stay alive amid competition from beer, wine and other modern drinks.
Among previous Intangible Cultural Heritage inclusions are kabuki theatre and Gagaku court music from Japan, as well as Sona, which are drawings on sand in Angola; the Chinese zither called guqin; and Cremonese violin craftsmanship from Italy.
One reason for sake’s growing popularity around the world is that its smooth flavour goes well with various food, including sushi and spicy Asian and Western dishes, said Max Del Vita, a certified sake sommelier and co-founder of The Sake Company, an import and distribution retailer in Singapore.
“These brewers are cultural stewards, passing down techniques through generations and blending ancient practices with quiet innovation,” he said.
“Sake is more than a drink. It is a living embodiment of Japan’s seasonal rhythms, community values and artistic heritage.”


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Junichiro Ozawa is head of the Ozawa Brewery. Photo: AFP

A worker for Ozawa Sake Brewery opens a lid to show sake being fermented in a tank during a media tour at the brewery in Ome, on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, on November 13, 2024. Photo: AP

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The sweet red bean soup sake comes in three different densities and textures. Photo: Three Sisters Sake Brew Project

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Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Sake is gaining popularity overseas, and makers in Japan are hoping it is awarded Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage status


Sake is gaining popularity overseas, and makers in Japan are hoping it is awarded Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage status.


Japan

Wine and Spirits