In Addition to Being Named Holder of Ishikawa’s Intangible Cultural Property Designation for Toji
-- Naohiko Noguchi, a toji (master sake brewer), known throughout the industry as the "God of Sake Brewing," has been designated a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property for "Ginjo-zukuri" (the artisanal method of brewing highly polished rice at low temperatures to produce delicate, aromatic sake), a status commonly known as a Living National Treasure. He is the first toji in history to receive this national honor, announced on October 16.
The designation follows Ishikawa Prefecture's August 2026 recognition of Noguchi as a holder of its Intangible Cultural Property for "Toji." Together, the two honors make 2026 a landmark year for Ishikawa and for one of Japan's most storied brewing traditions.
The toji is the chief executive of a sake brewery's production, the person whose judgment and intuition determine everything from the milling of the rice to the final pressing of the fermented mash. Those from Ishikawa's Noto region represent one of the country's most celebrated brewing traditions, having passed their techniques down since the Edo period through a style of brewing known for its rice-centric character.
Long focused on performing arts and traditional crafts, the system now recognizes everyday traditions nurtured across generations, including culinary arts and sake brewing. Noguchi was selected both for his mastery of Ginjo-zukuri and for his decades of mentoring young brewers.
Noguchi was born into a family of brewers entered the trade at age 16, apprenticing at nearby breweries before returning to Ishikawa to build his own career. Over more than 50 years as toji, he won gold at Japan's National New Sake Competition 26 times, 11 of them consecutively, a record that helped fuel the nationwide popularity of Ginjo-style sake and earned him recognition as a "Contemporary Master Craftsman" from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2006 and the Medal with Yellow Ribbon in 2008. He is widely known throughout Japan's sake industry simply as the "God of Sake Brewing," and counted among the Four Heavenly Kings of Noto Toji.
What distinguishes Noguchi's approach is a combination rarely found in this traditional craft- a hands-on approach combined with scientific rigor. He personally participates in every stage of brewing, from washing the rice to overseeing fermentation while keeping meticulous decades-long records of temperature, humidity, and moisture content. This is what many say has elevated sake making from an intuition-driven art into something closer to science without sacrificing its distinct character.
In 2017, he established the NOGUCHI NAOHIKO SAKE INSTITUTE Inc. in Komatsu City, a brewery built specifically to train the next generation of Noto Toji and preserve both his techniques and his exacting standards for decades to come. Today, the Institute attracts sake enthusiasts from around the world. Visitors can explore a gallery showcasing Noguchi’s legendary career, view the brewing process through glass observation windows, and enjoy curated sake tastings in a refined room inspired by a traditional tea house with advance reservations.
Ishikawa Prefecture's designation reflects the significant role sake brewing plays in the region's cultural identity. The prefecture's cold winters, exceptional water quality, and rich rice-growing land have supported generations of breweries, each producing distinctive sake through an intricate, multi-step process that includes milling, soaking, steaming, koji cultivation, yeast starter preparation, main fermentation, and final pressing, a process built around Japanese sake's uniquely complex method of parallel fermentation, in which sugar conversion and alcohol fermentation occur simultaneously in the same vessel.
With this designation, Ishikawa Prefecture's list of officially recognized cultural properties now totals 357, comprising 242 tangible cultural properties and 7 intangible cultural properties, of which “Toji” is among the most recently recognized.
To learn more about Ishikawa Prefecture's cultural heritage and tourism, visit the official website, follow Facebook, or email [email protected] for inquiries.
©️NOGUCHI NAOHIKO SAKE INSTITUTE
Contact Info:
Name: Naohiko Noguchi
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Organization: NOGUCHI NAOHIKO SAKE INSTITUTE
Website: https://www.ishikawatravel.jp/en/
Release ID: 89208273
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