Japan’s ANA Extends Exclusive Sake Partnership With Living National Treasure Nominee Through 2027

Japan’s ANA Extends Exclusive Sake Partnership With Living National Treasure Nominee Through 2027, reinforcing its commitment to Japanese hospitality and traditional craftsmanship. Master brewer Naohiko Noguchi, recognised for his exceptional sake-making expertise, will continue supplying specially prepared sake for international premium passengers and airport lounge guests across ANA’s global network.

ANA Continues Nine-Year Partnership With Celebrated Japanese Sake Brewer

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced that it will continue serving premium Japanese sake produced by master brewer Naohiko Noguchi through 2027, extending a partnership that has connected international air travel with Japan’s traditional brewing craftsmanship since 2017.

The announcement, made in Tokyo on 16 October 2026, follows Noguchi’s recommendation by Japan’s Council for Cultural Affairs for recognition as a Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage, commonly known as a Living National Treasure.

The recommendation has been submitted to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. It marks an important milestone in the brewer’s career, although the formal designation should not be treated as completed solely on the basis of the recommendation.

Noguchi’s sake is currently served in ANA’s international First Class and Business Class cabins, as well as selected airport lounges. The airline has confirmed that its relationship with the Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, will continue into the 2027 financial year.

For international passengers, the arrangement provides access to a distinctive part of Japanese food culture during their journey.

Exclusive Brewing Process Creates a Distinctive ANA Sake Experience

One of the partnership’s defining features is the sake produced specifically for ANA passengers.

Rather than simply selecting an existing commercial product, Noguchi prepares a dedicated version using a customised pasteurisation process, traditionally known in Japanese brewing as hi-ire.

Pasteurisation involves carefully controlled heating to help stabilise sake while preserving its intended characteristics. Temperature management is an important consideration in maintaining the beverage’s quality.

ANA says the customised process is tailored for its passengers, demonstrating the cooperation between the airline and the brewery.

The arrangement also reflects a wider approach to premium airline hospitality, where food and beverage selections are increasingly expected to provide an experience associated with the country of origin.

For ANA, Japanese sake serves a cultural purpose alongside its role as a premium beverage.

Passengers are introduced to a product shaped by regional craftsmanship, specialist knowledge and established brewing traditions.

Naohiko Noguchi’s Cultural Recognition Highlights Japanese Brewing Heritage

Noguchi’s recommendation for Living National Treasure recognition places renewed attention on the importance of traditional skills in contemporary Japan.

The country’s system of Important Intangible Cultural Properties recognises exceptional artistic and craft techniques and the individuals responsible for preserving them.

According to Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, recognition of individual holders is associated with advanced mastery of designated traditional practices.

The recommendation is therefore significant not only for Noguchi but also for the broader cultural importance of sake production.

Traditional Japanese brewing has already received international recognition. In December 2024, UNESCO inscribed Japan’s traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with koji mould on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This recognition covers traditional practices rather than individual brands or brewers.

Together, these developments demonstrate the importance of protecting specialist knowledge while introducing Japanese cultural traditions to international audiences.

ANA Builds on Its Wider Japanese Sake Programme

The continuation of Noguchi’s sake also complements ANA’s broader beverage strategy.

In February 2026, ANA announced a refreshed Japanese sake collection featuring 55 labels, which began rotating through selected onboard and lounge services from 1 March.

The selection was developed under the guidance of sake adviser Yasuyuki Kitahara and covers a wide variety of flavours and brewing styles.

The airline positioned the programme as a way to introduce travellers to different regional sake traditions across Japan

Noguchi’s continuing involvement adds a longstanding specialist relationship to that wider programme.

For premium international travellers, such offerings can help distinguish the onboard experience through authentic Japanese products rather than relying exclusively on conventional international beverage selections.

However, individual sake availability may depend on the flight, route, cabin and service arrangements. The extension does not establish that every ANA service will offer the same Noguchi product.

Ishikawa’s Regional Craftsmanship Gains International Exposure

The Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute is located in Komatsu City in Ishikawa Prefecture, a region associated with Japanese craftsmanship and cultural traditions.

Its continued presence within ANA’s premium services provides international visibility for specialist regional brewing.

Such partnerships offer an important connection between aviation and destination identity.

Travellers may encounter a regional product onboard before visiting Japan or discover a connection with a destination they might otherwise overlook.

For tourism stakeholders, this illustrates how airlines can promote regional heritage through carefully selected hospitality products.

Although ANA has not announced additional tourism programmes linked to the renewed agreement, its continued cooperation with the institute supports the international presentation of Ishikawa’s sake-making heritage.

ANA Plans January 2027 Magazine Feature on Noguchi

ANA has also confirmed that its inflight magazine, TSUBASA GLOBAL WINGS, will publish a special feature on Noguchi in January 2027.

The planned article will provide another opportunity to introduce passengers to the master brewer and his work.

The editorial feature will accompany the airline’s ongoing partnership with the institute, extending the cultural story beyond the beverage service itself.

For passengers unfamiliar with Japanese sake, inflight storytelling can provide valuable background on the people, places and traditions behind the product.

The initiative also reinforces the role of airline magazines as platforms for introducing international audiences to Japanese culture.

Premium Aviation Hospitality Meets Japan’s Traditional Craftsmanship

ANA’s decision reflects the value it places on continuity in premium hospitality.

Maintaining a specialist brewing partnership for nine consecutive years demonstrates a sustained commitment to a particular Japanese cultural product.

It also creates a connection between the expertise of an established master brewer and the experience of passengers travelling between Japan and international destinations.

As airlines seek to distinguish premium cabin experiences, partnerships with regional producers can offer both authenticity and cultural relevance.

For ANA, the extension into 2027 preserves an established feature of its onboard and lounge hospitality while celebrating the specialist expertise behind traditional Japanese sake.

ANA’s continued partnership with Naohiko Noguchi strengthens the connection between Japanese aviation, cultural preservation and premium travel. With exclusive sake remaining available through 2027 and a dedicated magazine feature planned for January, the airline is bringing traditional brewing craftsmanship to international passengers while recognising an outstanding Japanese artisan.