Meet Naohiko Noguchi, sake’s first living national treasure
Born in 1932 and drawn to the world of sake as a way of making ends meet in postwar Japan, Naohiko Noguchi is now the first "ningen kokuhō" (living national treasure) related to the sake industry. | CINDY BISSIG
Nov 8, 2026
Komatsu, Ishikawa Pref. – Usually, nicknames like “the god of sake” are platitudes. But for brewer Naohiko Noguchi, it’s now as close to a literal description as can be.
On Oct. 16, Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs made an announcement without precedent: ginjō-zukuri — the exacting techniques used to brew aromatic ginjō sake from highly polished rice at low temperatures — be designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property, with 93-year-old master brewer Noguchi recognized as its holder.
Once formally approved at a ceremony scheduled for Nov. 16 in Kyoto, Noguchi will become the first-ever tōji (chief brewer) to be named a ningen kokuhō (living national treasure) — a recognition with significance far beyond the world of sake.
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