[2 Consecutive Years! The Charm and Emotion of Awamori Delivered to the World] Kamimura Distillery's 'Shurei YUI 45' Selected for Cannes Film Festival Official Ceremony

Limited Company Kamimura Distillery (Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture; President: Hiroshi Nakazato) is pleased to announce that its Awamori brands, 'Shurei YUI 45' and 'Shurei 30', were officially adopted for the 'CANNES GALA', an official ceremony of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival held in Cannes, France, on May 17, 2026. This marks the second consecutive year of selection, following last year's 'Danryu BLESS 46' and 'Danryu CRAFT 40'.

To share the joy and honor we experienced on-site with everyone who has supported Kamimura Distillery, we will be holding a report event called 'Cannes Night'. This event will feature recreated dishes served at the official ceremony, allowing attendees to enjoy them deliciously with Kamimura Distillery's Awamori. The event will take place in Okinawa on June 26th, and in Tokyo on July 18th and 19th.

What is the Official Ceremony of the Cannes International Film Festival 'CANNES GALA'?

The 'CANNES GALA' is an official ceremony of the Cannes International Film Festival, the world's premier film festival.

With the theme 'Sincerely and Nobly', this ceremony brings together and fosters deep connections among next-generation artists, cultural figures, and business leaders from around the world who might not normally interact. Within the ceremony, awards are presented to honor individuals supporting the content industry for the next 100 years, and charity events are held. It aims to contribute to the creation of new culture and the development of the content industry as a special stage connecting art and business.

What We Wanted to Convey by Re-entering the Global Stage for Two Consecutive Years

Awamori, Japan's oldest distilled spirit with over 600 years of history, has walked alongside Ryukyu culture. We want people worldwide to know the charm of Awamori. Through seeing Awamori captivate the world, we strongly wished for our regular Awamori drinkers to feel 'proud to be an Awamori fan'. With this desire, we once again stepped onto the world's highest stage, Cannes.

We sincerely hope to build warm connections in the future by connecting with people around the world through Awamori, helping them learn about Okinawa's history and culture, and bringing happiness to everyone who drinks delicious Awamori.

Shurei YUI 45 with Karakarabashi and Chibuguwa

Scenes from CANNES GALA

We are deeply honored and grateful to all our supporters for selecting our Awamori for two consecutive years at such a glamorous official ceremony of the world's top film festival.

At the ceremony, 'Shurei 30', loved by many daily, was enjoyed with fish dishes as a highball. During the dessert section, 'Shurei YUI 45' was served in small quantities, straight, to all participants using traditional Okinawan sake vessels, 'Karakara and Chibuguwa', brought from Okinawa.

Participants from all over the world were delighted, holding the uniquely shaped sake vessels with curiosity, exclaiming with smiles, 'It's cute!' and 'How do you use this?'

Through these traditional vessels, interest in Awamori deepened significantly. Participants showed strong interest not only in the profound taste of Awamori but also in Okinawan traditional culture itself.

We received many exclamations of 'C'est bon! (Wonderful!)', and the感動 of seeing Awamori welcomed with smiles is unforgettable.

Announcing 'Cannes Night' to Share the Cannes Experience

We wanted to share this honor and joy, not keep it to ourselves, but share it with everyone who always supports us. With this sole intention, we planned 'Cannes Night'.

At Cannes Night, I will personally share episodes and behind-the-scenes stories from Cannes. We will also offer a reproduction of some of the highly acclaimed dishes from the official ceremony. Furthermore, with two special menus prepared by the venue's chef, please enjoy a luxurious marriage that enhances the deliciousness of Awamori and a night of joy to your heart's content.
Cannes Night Application Page: https://www.koosugura.jp/SHOP/cannes2026.html

[Okinawa Event]

Date & Time: Friday, June 26, 2026, 19:00 - 21:00

Capacity: 150 people

Venue: Hotel Collective (Matsuo, Naha City)

Participation Fee: 15,000 yen (tax included)

[Tokyo Event]

Date & Time: Saturday, July 18, 2026 & Sunday, July 19, 2026, 17:30 - 19:30

Capacity: 50 people per day

Venue: TRANSAM Akasaka (Akasaka, Tokyo)
*A French chef will be invited to prepare the cuisine.

Participation Fee: 18,000 yen (tax included)

Introducing 'Shurei YUI 45'

'Shurei YUI 45' was born from our sincere wish that the warm connections formed through Awamori lead to world peace. It is a cherished bottle.

We blended precious 22-year-old and 21-year-old Awamori, inherited and carefully nurtured from the previous generation, along with Awamori aged for different periods and using different yeasts. We also incorporated Awamori that has been continuously replenished by a total of 936 people since the 2012 Thanksgiving festival,重ねて (kasane te - layering) the wish of 'YUI' (connection). The result is a traditional flavor that Kamimura Distillery has continued to protect.

We hope you will enjoy the noble sweetness, reminiscent of Wasanbon sugar, and the lingering deep aroma, like cacao, born from long-term aging. We wish that you will be moved by the charm of Awamori and become a new fan.

We deliver this special taste, which colored the glamorous night in Cannes, France, with a premium value recognized worldwide, in a limited edition of 700 bottles.

Product Name: Shurei YUI 45 720ml Price: 22,550 yen (tax included)

Special Introduction Page for 'Shurei YUI 45': https://kamimura-shuzo.co.jp/yui/

Product Purchase Page for 'Shurei YUI 45': https://www.koosugura.jp/SHOP/g17788/list.html

Contact Regarding This Matter

Limited Company Kamimura Distillery

570 Ishikawa Kadekaru, Uruma City, Okinawa 904-1114

Official Website: https://kamimura-shuzo.co.jp/

Phone Number: 098-964-7628