Born in 1932 and drawn to the world of sake as a way of making ends meet in postwar Japan, Naohiko Noguchi is now the first "ningen kokuhō" (living national treasure) related to the sake industry. | CINDY BISSIG

Komatsu, Ishikawa Pref. – Usually, nicknames like “the god of sake” are platitudes. But for brewer Naohiko Noguchi, it’s now as close to a literal description as can be.

On Oct. 16, Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs made an announcement without precedent: ginjō-zukuri — the exacting techniques used to brew aromatic ginjō sake from highly polished rice at low temperatures — be designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property, with 93-year-old master brewer Noguchi recognized as its holder.

Once formally approved at a ceremony scheduled for Nov.…