Japanese sake brewer hopes UNESCO listing will drive demand and sales <br /> <br />At a Tokyo brewery dating back to the days of the samurai, Koichi Maesako drops a three-meter-long wooden paddle into a giant, jade-colored tank and gently stirs the white mixture — which will turn into sake in a week's time. <br /><br />The sweet-and-sour-smelling brew — of rice, yeast starter, the culinary mold known as koji and water — has been fermenting for 20 days in what is part of an ancient technique that UNESCO is set to list as Intangible Cultural Heritage this week. <br /><br />For Maesako, the 40-year-old chief brewer of Ishikawa Shuzou, or Ishikawa Brewery, the UN agency's endorsement would be welcome news after a difficult couple of years. <br /><br />Unseasonably warm weather has hit the rice harvest, not only affecting the quality of the grain but also raising procurement costs, he said. <br /><br />REUTERS VIDEO <br /><br />Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe <br />Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net <br /> <br />Follow us: <br />Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook <br />Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram <br />Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter <br />DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion <br /> <br />Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital <br />Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters <br /> <br />Check out our Podcasts: <br />Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify <br />Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts <br />Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic <br />Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer <br />Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein <br /> <br />#themanilatimes <br />#worldnews <br />#japan <br />#sake
