In December 2024, “JAPAN’S TRADITIONAL BREWING” was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Sake produced using this traditional method, known internationally as “SAKE” has gained widespread global recognition alongside “WASHOKU” (traditional Japanese cuisine), and its global demand is expected to continue growing.
However, the environment surrounding sake production is becoming increasingly challenging due to prominent social issues in recent years, such as the declining production of rice—the key ingredient of sake—the decreasing number of agricultural workers, and the increase in abandoned farmland.
At the CDG, we have been collaborating with farmers, companies, and organizations working to address these challenges through initiatives such as the utilization of fallow rice fields and the conservation of satoyama (traditional rural landscapes).
With the cooperation of these partners, we are pleased to organize and host this symposium. In this event, three individuals dedicated to sake brewing in Nara—the birthplace of sake—will come together with two researchers utilizing cutting-edge scientific technologies in sake-related studies. By sharing the challenges they face and their efforts toward solutions, we hope to provide an opportunity to reflect on the present and future of sake with all those involved.
Date and Time: Monday, September 29, 2025, 13:30–17:10
Venue: Lecture Hall, Nara Park Bus Terminal
Participation Fee: Free of charge (Approximately 200 participants expected, including members of the general public. Advance registration required.)
Registration: General Public (over 20 years old), NAIST Students and Faculty
Language: Japanese
Schedule:
13:00 Registration Opens
13:30 Opening Remarks
13:35 Introduction of Guests and Welcome Address by Guest Representative
Session 1: Brewing (Each talk: 30 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A)
13:45 Talk 1: Mr. Myoshun Tsuji (Executive Director, Kōfukuji Temple)
“Temples and Food”
14:20 Talk 2: Mr. Chōbei Yamamoto XIII (Owner, Yucho Shuzo Co., Ltd.)
“Passing on the Beauty of Japan 100 Years into the Future through Sake Brewing”
14:55 Talk 3: Dr. Daisuke Watanabe (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Science and Technology, NAIST / CDG)
“The World of Brewing Microorganisms Unveiled by Advanced Science”
15:30 Break (20 minutes)
Session 2: Cultivating (Each talk: 30 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A)
15:50 Talk 4: Mr. Eiji Sugiura (Representative, Sugiura GambaFarm / Executive Director, NPO SatoyamaKara)
“Preserving and Nurturing Satoyama – Collaboration with Local Sake Breweries”
16:25 Talk 5: Dr. Akiko Soejima (Professor, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Kumamoto University)
“There’s a Reason Sake Tastes Good – Insights from Fieldwork”
17:00 Closing Remarks
18:00– Get Together (for invited participants only, up to 50 people; participation to be coordinated separately)
Organizer: Center for Digital Green-innovation (CDG), Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST)
Co-organizer: NAIST Green Economy Consortium
Supporters: Keihanna Science City, Nara Prefecture, Nara City, Ikoma City
Collaborator: Nara Visitors Bureau
Inquiries: CDG Office
