Kansai Gin Rally Concludes Main Event on March 31st: 110 Participating Venues, 600 Participants, and 1,800 Social Media Posts Recorded; Exceptional Exploration Phenomenon Sees 4 Participants Visit Over 60 Venues
The Kansai Gin Rally, a regional exploration event across four cities, concluded its main run on March 31st with 110 participating venues and 600 participants. The event fostered significant engagement, including 1,800 social media posts and unprecedented levels of venue-hopping, with plans now shifting toward the establishment of the Uda Distillery.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 30, 2026 at 22:30
- 🔍 Collected: March 30, 2026 at 22:56 (26 min after Published)
Kansai Gin Rally: 110 Venues Across 4 Cities, 600 Participants, and 1,800 Social Media Posts
The "Kansai Gin Rally," a regional exploration event held across various parts of the Kansai region since February 15, 2026, reached its final day on March 31.
This project was implemented as an exploration-style event where participants enjoyed craft gin while traversing bars and restaurants across four cities in the Kansai area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Wakayama). It ultimately expanded to include 110 participating venues and a total of approximately 600 participants.
Furthermore, social media posts during the event reached a total of 1,800 (approximately 3.6 times that of the previous Osaka Gin Rally), and the official Instagram account recorded approximately 1 million total views, demonstrating growth both online and offline.
In addition, the top three participating venues recorded a combined total of 450 social media posts (an average of about 150 posts per venue), indicating that high levels of engagement were generated even at the individual store level.
These figures demonstrate that the structure—where both participants and venues actively engaged and expanded the event—functioned effectively, going beyond mere event participation.
4 Participants Visited Over 60 Venues: Unprecedented Exploration Behavior
Particularly noteworthy is the volume of exploration by participants.
Four participants visited over 60 venues, and others were confirmed to have visited over 50, a scale of exploration rarely seen in typical food and beverage events.
Additionally, among female participants, four individuals visited over 20 venues (with one reaching the 40-venue scale), demonstrating spontaneous exploration behavior that transcended the boundaries of individual store visits.
This indicates that the event successfully established an exploration behavior where participants themselves chose the next venue, traveled, and accumulated experiences, rather than just promoting store visits.
Such movements can be cited as a case where experience design that traverses an entire area manifested as actual behavior, taking a step beyond the visit-based consumption seen in conventional food and beverage events.
Changes Born in Venues: New Connections Through Exploration
In this event, movements that crossed multiple venues were notably observed, rather than consumption being limited to a single store.
Participating venues shared the following feedback regarding actual changes:
"The Gin Rally definitely increased our store's recognition. We heard many comments from people who usually eat and drink in Tenma saying, 'I didn't know this place existed.'" (ALCO Temma)
"Participating venues in Tenma and Umeda were close by, so many people visited us as part of their route. It was easy to introduce other stores, and they naturally became a topic of conversation." (Rikutosora)
"It also became an opportunity to interact with staff and owners of other stores." (Ryojo Kaika)
"We saw many customers who came specifically for the Gin Rally." (Ryojo Kaika)
"Since we are open for drinking from the daytime, we saw an increase in customers during early hours." (Rikutosora)
"We saw many customers not only from Osaka but also from other prefectures." (Rikutosora)
These movements demonstrate that the structure—where restaurants connect with each other and exploration is born within the area—functioned effectively, going beyond simple visit promotion. Furthermore, the fact that experiences were formed at the city level rather than the individual store level, as participant movements and venue-side changes became linked, is one of the characteristics of this event.
Closing Event to be Held on April 12th to Consolidate Exploration
To conclude the exploration and enthusiasm generated during the main event, we will hold a closing event on Sunday, April 12, 2026.
On the day, we plan to host participants who visited over 60 or 50 venues, gather participating venues that were heavily involved in the project, hold an awards ceremony, and host a seminar by Gin Bar KAIROS. It will be an opportunity to consolidate the movements and relationships born during the main event into one place.
We anticipate a scale of about 50 people, but it is expected to be a high-density gathering of core participants and venues.
Additionally, we are holding this as an event open to a wide range of people, including those who have participated in the Kansai Gin Rally so far and those who are light participants interested in gin.
This closing is positioned not just as a wrap-up party, but as a place to visualize the act of exploration and the relationships born within it.
https://andground.jp/blogs/news/
Connecting to the Uda Distillery Concept: Accumulating Exploration Experience as Culture
The Kansai Gin Rally will not end as a one-off event but will develop into an initiative to preserve its records and experiences.
Event organizer Michiaki Kobayashi is advancing a concept for the opening of the "Uda Distillery," a craft gin distillery in Uda City, Nara Prefecture, and this event is positioned as part of those activities.
Uda, Nara, is blessed with a natural environment and water resources, serving as a base for launching a distillery that utilizes regional resources. It will serve as a starting point for connecting the exploration and human movement generated by this Kansai Gin Rally to the region.
Furthermore, as a base looking toward the opening of the distillery, we plan to utilize a property that was originally used as a photo gallery cafe and develop it as a place to disseminate culture prior to the distillery's operation.
Photo Exhibition "Uda Gin Gallery" to be Composed of 4 Cultural Axes
As a first step, we plan to hold a photo exhibition, "Uda Gin Gallery (tentative)," in June 2026.
In this photo exhibition, we will visualize the records of exploration that actually occurred during the Kansai Gin Rally, the movements of participants and venues, and the scenes on the ground. We position this as an attempt to record and share the experience itself, rather than having it consumed as a one-time event.
Furthermore, this exhibition will be composed of four themes:
- Urban exploration culture in the Kansai Gin Rally
- Food culture through the pairing of spice dishes and gin held in Uda
- Material culture centered on botanicals (plants) of Uda
- Natural landscapes of Uda
We plan to develop this as a record of culture that traverses cities and regions, food and nature.
In addition, the production of a booklet summarizing the exploration records of this event and the voices of participants and venues is underway.
Through this, we aim to go beyond making this initiative a mere event, instead accumulating the act of exploration and the relationships behind it, and connecting them to future activities, including the Uda Distillery concept.
Featured Multiple Times on Amakara Techo WEB
This initiative has also been introduced multiple times as a feature on "Amakara Techo WEB," which disseminates Kansai food culture.
The overall picture of the Kansai Gin Rally, the pairing of gin and food, its expansion as an exploration-style event, and even the background leading to the Uda Distillery concept have been covered in detail from a third-party perspective.
Main articles published are as follows:
- My life changed because of gin!? Reasons for getting hooked on the craft gin swamp | amakara.jp
- From "Kansai Gin Rally." Is Gin x Chinese food also a thing!? Unknown pairings of gin and food | amakara.jp
- A gin distillery in the heart of a tourist destination. Tasting freshly made gin at Kyoto's "SiCX" | amakara.jp
- The potential and possibilities of Japanese gin making learned through the "Kansai Gin Rally" | amakara.jp
- Why don't you get hooked on gin? Hurry to the last spurt of the "Kansai Gin Rally" | amakara.jp
These articles specifically introduce the new relationships between "gin and food" and "people and the city" that were born through the Kansai Gin Rally.
About the Kansai Gin Rally
The Kansai Gin Rally is an exploration-style event themed around craft gin, visiting 110 bars and restaurants in four cities in the Kansai area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Wakayama). By having participants visit multiple venues, the event aims to create new traffic lines and contact points within the region, along with diverse ways to enjoy gin.
https://andground.jp/pages/kansai-gin-rally
https://www.instagram.com/ginrally.jp/
Inquiries Regarding This Matter
andground LLC
Kansai Gin Rally Secretariat
Contact: Michiaki Kobayashi
Email: andground.jp@gmail.com
https://andground.jp/
The "Kansai Gin Rally," a regional exploration event held across various parts of the Kansai region since February 15, 2026, reached its final day on March 31.
This project was implemented as an exploration-style event where participants enjoyed craft gin while traversing bars and restaurants across four cities in the Kansai area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Wakayama). It ultimately expanded to include 110 participating venues and a total of approximately 600 participants.
Furthermore, social media posts during the event reached a total of 1,800 (approximately 3.6 times that of the previous Osaka Gin Rally), and the official Instagram account recorded approximately 1 million total views, demonstrating growth both online and offline.
In addition, the top three participating venues recorded a combined total of 450 social media posts (an average of about 150 posts per venue), indicating that high levels of engagement were generated even at the individual store level.
These figures demonstrate that the structure—where both participants and venues actively engaged and expanded the event—functioned effectively, going beyond mere event participation.
4 Participants Visited Over 60 Venues: Unprecedented Exploration Behavior
Particularly noteworthy is the volume of exploration by participants.
Four participants visited over 60 venues, and others were confirmed to have visited over 50, a scale of exploration rarely seen in typical food and beverage events.
Additionally, among female participants, four individuals visited over 20 venues (with one reaching the 40-venue scale), demonstrating spontaneous exploration behavior that transcended the boundaries of individual store visits.
This indicates that the event successfully established an exploration behavior where participants themselves chose the next venue, traveled, and accumulated experiences, rather than just promoting store visits.
Such movements can be cited as a case where experience design that traverses an entire area manifested as actual behavior, taking a step beyond the visit-based consumption seen in conventional food and beverage events.
Changes Born in Venues: New Connections Through Exploration
In this event, movements that crossed multiple venues were notably observed, rather than consumption being limited to a single store.
Participating venues shared the following feedback regarding actual changes:
"The Gin Rally definitely increased our store's recognition. We heard many comments from people who usually eat and drink in Tenma saying, 'I didn't know this place existed.'" (ALCO Temma)
"Participating venues in Tenma and Umeda were close by, so many people visited us as part of their route. It was easy to introduce other stores, and they naturally became a topic of conversation." (Rikutosora)
"It also became an opportunity to interact with staff and owners of other stores." (Ryojo Kaika)
"We saw many customers who came specifically for the Gin Rally." (Ryojo Kaika)
"Since we are open for drinking from the daytime, we saw an increase in customers during early hours." (Rikutosora)
"We saw many customers not only from Osaka but also from other prefectures." (Rikutosora)
These movements demonstrate that the structure—where restaurants connect with each other and exploration is born within the area—functioned effectively, going beyond simple visit promotion. Furthermore, the fact that experiences were formed at the city level rather than the individual store level, as participant movements and venue-side changes became linked, is one of the characteristics of this event.
Closing Event to be Held on April 12th to Consolidate Exploration
To conclude the exploration and enthusiasm generated during the main event, we will hold a closing event on Sunday, April 12, 2026.
On the day, we plan to host participants who visited over 60 or 50 venues, gather participating venues that were heavily involved in the project, hold an awards ceremony, and host a seminar by Gin Bar KAIROS. It will be an opportunity to consolidate the movements and relationships born during the main event into one place.
We anticipate a scale of about 50 people, but it is expected to be a high-density gathering of core participants and venues.
Additionally, we are holding this as an event open to a wide range of people, including those who have participated in the Kansai Gin Rally so far and those who are light participants interested in gin.
This closing is positioned not just as a wrap-up party, but as a place to visualize the act of exploration and the relationships born within it.
https://andground.jp/blogs/news/
Connecting to the Uda Distillery Concept: Accumulating Exploration Experience as Culture
The Kansai Gin Rally will not end as a one-off event but will develop into an initiative to preserve its records and experiences.
Event organizer Michiaki Kobayashi is advancing a concept for the opening of the "Uda Distillery," a craft gin distillery in Uda City, Nara Prefecture, and this event is positioned as part of those activities.
Uda, Nara, is blessed with a natural environment and water resources, serving as a base for launching a distillery that utilizes regional resources. It will serve as a starting point for connecting the exploration and human movement generated by this Kansai Gin Rally to the region.
Furthermore, as a base looking toward the opening of the distillery, we plan to utilize a property that was originally used as a photo gallery cafe and develop it as a place to disseminate culture prior to the distillery's operation.
Photo Exhibition "Uda Gin Gallery" to be Composed of 4 Cultural Axes
As a first step, we plan to hold a photo exhibition, "Uda Gin Gallery (tentative)," in June 2026.
In this photo exhibition, we will visualize the records of exploration that actually occurred during the Kansai Gin Rally, the movements of participants and venues, and the scenes on the ground. We position this as an attempt to record and share the experience itself, rather than having it consumed as a one-time event.
Furthermore, this exhibition will be composed of four themes:
- Urban exploration culture in the Kansai Gin Rally
- Food culture through the pairing of spice dishes and gin held in Uda
- Material culture centered on botanicals (plants) of Uda
- Natural landscapes of Uda
We plan to develop this as a record of culture that traverses cities and regions, food and nature.
In addition, the production of a booklet summarizing the exploration records of this event and the voices of participants and venues is underway.
Through this, we aim to go beyond making this initiative a mere event, instead accumulating the act of exploration and the relationships behind it, and connecting them to future activities, including the Uda Distillery concept.
Featured Multiple Times on Amakara Techo WEB
This initiative has also been introduced multiple times as a feature on "Amakara Techo WEB," which disseminates Kansai food culture.
The overall picture of the Kansai Gin Rally, the pairing of gin and food, its expansion as an exploration-style event, and even the background leading to the Uda Distillery concept have been covered in detail from a third-party perspective.
Main articles published are as follows:
- My life changed because of gin!? Reasons for getting hooked on the craft gin swamp | amakara.jp
- From "Kansai Gin Rally." Is Gin x Chinese food also a thing!? Unknown pairings of gin and food | amakara.jp
- A gin distillery in the heart of a tourist destination. Tasting freshly made gin at Kyoto's "SiCX" | amakara.jp
- The potential and possibilities of Japanese gin making learned through the "Kansai Gin Rally" | amakara.jp
- Why don't you get hooked on gin? Hurry to the last spurt of the "Kansai Gin Rally" | amakara.jp
These articles specifically introduce the new relationships between "gin and food" and "people and the city" that were born through the Kansai Gin Rally.
About the Kansai Gin Rally
The Kansai Gin Rally is an exploration-style event themed around craft gin, visiting 110 bars and restaurants in four cities in the Kansai area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Wakayama). By having participants visit multiple venues, the event aims to create new traffic lines and contact points within the region, along with diverse ways to enjoy gin.
https://andground.jp/pages/kansai-gin-rally
https://www.instagram.com/ginrally.jp/
Inquiries Regarding This Matter
andground LLC
Kansai Gin Rally Secretariat
Contact: Michiaki Kobayashi
Email: andground.jp@gmail.com
https://andground.jp/