All Nippon Airways will continue serving master brewer Naohiko Noguchi’s specially prepared sake into its 2027 financial year. The extension maintains a partnership that introduces international premium passengers and selected lounge guests to Japanese brewing craftsmanship.
Announced in Tokyo on 16 October 2026, the decision continues a relationship established in 2017. Noguchi’s sake features in ANA’s international First Class, Business Class and selected airport lounges.
The announcement follows his recommendation for recognition as a Living National Treasure. Japan’s Council for Cultural Affairs submitted the recommendation to the education and culture minister.
That recommendation represents an important milestone. However, it does not itself establish that the formal designation has been completed.
Exclusive Preparation Shapes Premium Hospitality
ANA’s partnership with the Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute goes beyond purchasing an existing commercial beverage. Noguchi prepares a dedicated version for the airline using a customised pasteurisation process known as hi-ire.
The process uses controlled heating to stabilise sake while maintaining its intended characteristics. Careful temperature management forms part of the preparation.
For passengers, the arrangement brings a specialist Japanese product into the travel experience. It also connects premium hospitality with the expertise behind a traditional craft.
Rather than treating the beverage as an isolated menu choice, the partnership gives ANA a cultural story to share. Its origins connect the aircraft cabin with a working brewery in Ishikawa Prefecture.
Nevertheless, passengers should expect availability to vary. The extension does not mean every flight, cabin or lounge will serve the same Noguchi product.
Cultural Recognition Adds Significance
Noguchi’s nomination draws attention to the people responsible for preserving Japan’s traditional skills. The country’s cultural recognition system acknowledges exceptional mastery of designated artistic and craft practices.
His recommendation therefore adds significance to an established airline relationship. It places the brewer’s expertise alongside wider discussions about maintaining specialist knowledge across generations.
Traditional sake-making also holds international cultural recognition. In December 2024, UNESCO inscribed Japan’s traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with koji mould on its intangible heritage list.
That inscription concerns shared knowledge and practices. It does not represent an endorsement of an individual brewer, commercial label or airline partnership.
For international visitors, these distinctions provide context. Sake offers an introduction to craftsmanship, regional identity and cultural practices that extend beyond the drink itself.
Ishikawa Heritage Reaches International Travellers
The Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute operates in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Its presence within ANA’s hospitality programme gives regional brewing expertise exposure to international passengers.
Airline food and beverage partnerships can introduce travellers to places before they arrive. A regional product may encourage curiosity about its origins, production methods and surrounding destination.
For Ishikawa, the partnership creates another opportunity to present local craftsmanship abroad. However, the announcement includes no new brewery visits, destination packages or associated tourism programme.
Its immediate contribution centres on visibility and passenger experience. Any resulting increase in visits or tourism spending would require separate evidence.
The connection still matters for destination storytelling. It gives travellers a specific place and producer to associate with Japanese hospitality.
Wider Sake Collection Expands Discovery
Noguchi’s continued involvement complements ANA’s broader Japanese sake programme. In February 2026, the airline announced a refreshed collection featuring 55 labels.
Those selections began rotating through selected onboard and lounge services from 1 March. Sake adviser Yasuyuki Kitahara guided the collection’s development.
The programme presents different flavours and brewing styles from across Japan. Within that selection, Noguchi’s partnership provides continuity through a relationship approaching a decade.
For premium passengers, the combination offers opportunities to encounter both an established specialist and a wider range of producers. Individual service arrangements will determine which selections travellers receive.
The announcement concerns hospitality rather than a network expansion. It introduces no additional routes, flight frequencies or airport facilities.
January Feature Will Tell the Brewer’s Story
ANA also plans a special feature on Noguchi in its inflight magazine, TSUBASA GLOBAL WINGS, in January 2027.
The feature will introduce passengers to the brewer and his work. It will extend the partnership’s cultural presentation beyond onboard and lounge beverage service.
For travellers unfamiliar with sake, background about its maker can make the experience more accessible. Understanding the producer and location adds context to what appears on a premium menu.
Together, the continued service and planned feature will keep Noguchi’s craftsmanship visible to international audiences into 2027. Passengers can encounter the product while learning more about the regional expertise behind it.
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