On 27 September 2025, the 48th Seminar for Understanding Intangible Cultural Heritage was held at Sakai City Museum Hall, co-organized by Sakai City and IRCI. This seminar series, initiated by Sakai City, aims to raise public awareness of the value and significance of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), and IRCI has been cooperating in this initiative.

This Seminar focused on ‘Traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with koji* mold in Japan’, inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024. The lecturer, Mr TANAKA Hironori, Senior Specialist of Life Culture Collaboration Division at the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan, explained the process of inscription on the UNESCO List by comparing the national system of protecting intangible cultural properties (ICP) in Japan with UNESCO’s framework for safeguarding ICH. He also highlighted the historical and cultural significance of sake-making in Japan.

Traditional sake-making, being recognized as registered ICP of Japan since December 2021, centres on artisanal brewing skills employing koji mold production, a vital step shared across various kinds of Japanese alcoholic drink including nihonshu, shochu, awamori, and mirin. Mr Tanaka emphasized sake’s deep social and cultural ties to festivities, life events, and ceremonies in Japan, and the sustainable nature of the brewing process utilizing natural resources efficiently with minimal wastes. He further acknowledged the roles of communities such as farmers providing raw materials and master brewers (toji) in safeguarding and transmitting these traditions. Both aspects are important criteria for the inscription on the UNESCO list.

He also introduced efforts in Japan to promote food culture, such as the ‘100-Year Food’ initiative recognizing traditional local dishes, examples of registered ICP, and relevant legal frameworks developed following the inscription of ‘Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese’ on the UNESCO list in 2013.

Approximately 50 participants attended the seminar, which concluded with a lively Q&A session. Through the familiar theme of sake, the event successfully deepened public understanding and appreciation of ICH.

*Koji is a type of mold grown on steamed grains such as rice or barley. It converts starch into sugar.

Scenes from the 48 Seminar for Understanding ICH on 27 September 2025 at Sakai City Museum