Japanese Sake Brewing Technique Added to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List | WPN World People News

According to media reports, on December 4th, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added Japan's traditional sake brewing technique to its list of "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity." This marks Japan's 23rd successful application for intangible cultural heritage status, and the news has been warmly welcomed by sake breweries across Japan.

The report highlights that Japan's traditional brewing technique dates back over 500 years. It involves steaming Japanese rice or wheat, adding koji mold for saccharification, and then fermenting the mixture with yeast to produce alcohol. This unique method, which involves multiple fermentation processes within the same vessel, is quite rare. Sake, authentic shochu, awamori, and mirin are some of the alcoholic beverages made using this technique.

Following the announcement, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed his happiness, emphasizing the importance of protecting Japan's traditional techniques passed down through generations and ensuring their transmission to future generations. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also stated that he hopes people will take renewed interest in Japan’s sake brewing techniques and work to promote them globally.