Kishi Yasuyuki will talk about traditional Japanese sake in HCM City and Hà Nội. Photo courtesy of Japan Foundation Centre

HÀ NỘI — The Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Việt Nam will organise a lecture to inform the public about Japan's UNESCO-recognised sake brewing tradition in HCM City and Hà Nội. 

Associate Professor and PhD in social sciences Kishi Yasuyuki will present a talk titled 'Brewing Innovation: How Sake Reinvents Tradition and Community in Japan' at the event. 

In his lecture, Kishi will explore how sake brewing balances tradition and innovation, using Niigata prefecture as a case study to examine preservation efforts and industry challenges.

He will discuss the evolution of traditional brewing techniques while preserving cultural values and offer insights into sake’s role in sustainable heritage management and cultural industry development.

After earning his doctorate at Waseda University, Kishi taught as an assistant professor at Waseda and a specially appointed assistant professor at the University of Tokyo’s Monozukuri Management Research Centre before joining Niigata University in 2012.

In his current position since 2018, he specialises in sake brewery organisation theory, the overseas development of traditional industries and tradition and innovation.

He proposed the field of “sakeology” as a comprehensive science with collaboration among industry, government and academia and has played a central role in the establishment of the Niigata University Sakeology Centre.

Sake brewing has a history of over 1,000 years, evolving from temple and shrine rituals into a key part of Japanese culture. Traditional brewing methods, refined over centuries, emphasise craftsmanship and regional ingredients such as rice and water.

Deeply connected to regional identity, sake brewing was recognised by UNESCO in December 2024 for its cultural and historical significance, reinforcing the need to preserve its techniques.

The lecture will begin at 7pm at the Consulate General of Japan in HCM City at 261 Điện Biên Phủ Street in District 3 and at 2pm at AEON Hall 3rd Floor, AEON MALL Long Biên, 27 Cổ Linh Road in Long Biên District, Hà Nội. 

Free pre-registration is required at: https://tinyurl.com/sakeology-hcm and https://tinyurl.com/sakeology-hanoi. VNS