Japan’s sake brewers hope UNESCO heritage listing can boost rice wine’s appeal

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Deep in a dark warehouse, the sake sleeps, stored in rows of giant tanks, each holding more than 10,000 liters (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, hoped sake-brewing would win recognition as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage when the decision was made earlier this month. Sake, the drink of choice for the nobility in “The Tale of Genji”—Japan’s most celebrated work of literature—has been widening its appeal, boosted by the growing international popularity of Japanese cuisine. Sake exports from Japan total more than 41 billion yen ($265 million) a year, with the biggest destinations being the U.S., according to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association. That’s up from about 22 billion yen in 2018. Brazil, Mexico, 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. What’s key to sake-making, which takes about two months, including fermentation and pressing, are the rice and the water. For a product to be categorized as Japanese sake, the rice must be Japanese. The relatively soft quality of freshwater in Japan, like the supplies provided by the two wells at Ozawa Brewery, is also critical. The religious connotations of sake are evident at the brewery. The big cedar-leaves 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 beverage. It is Japanese culture itself,” said Hitoshi Utsunomiya, director of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association. 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’s 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 beverages. This article was provided by The Associated Press.