Hosting Decided for 'SAKE COMPETITION 2026', One of the World's Largest Competitions to Determine the 'World's Most Delicious Commercial Sake', Driving Sake Trends!
The SAKE COMPETITION Executive Committee announced the holding of SAKE COMPETITION 2026. The awards ceremony and party will take place on June 10 at TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, with tickets on sale from April 21. A special Awamori category has been added this year.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 00:31
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 00:02
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The SAKE COMPETITION Executive Committee announces the holding of "SAKE COMPETITION 2026," a competition to determine the world's most delicious commercially available sake. After judging by the panel in early May, an awards ceremony and a party where guests can enjoy top-awarded sake and food will be held on Wednesday, June 10, at LINKPILLAR Hall A/B on the B2 floor of TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY THE LINKPILLAR 1 SOUTH. Ticket sales for the awards ceremony and party began on Tuesday, April 21.
SAKE COMPETITION 2026 Official Website: https://sakecompetition.com/
Awards Ceremony & Party Ticket Sales Site: https://peatix.com/event/4764559
Scenes from last year's awards ceremony (2025)
Despite the global spread of the "sake boom," the issue remains that the types and tastes of sake are "hard to understand" for many people. In this context, "SAKE COMPETITION" began in 2012 with the philosophy of "establishing new standards so that consumers can encounter truly delicious sake regardless of the brand."
Only commercially available sake is subject to judging, and the judging method thoroughly ensures that brands are completely hidden, competing solely on the quality of the sake. It is a competition where any brand has a chance to take first place, as the judging team is not influenced by brands or labels.
This year, judging will take place across five categories: "Junmai," "Junmai Ginjo," "Junmai Daiginjo," "Super Premium," and "Modern Natural." In addition, an "Awamori Category" will be specially added to commemorate the scheduled restoration of the Shuri Castle Main Hall in the fall of 2026. Preliminary judging will be held on Tuesday, May 12, and final judging on Wednesday, May 13, and Thursday, May 14. On Wednesday, June 10, at LINKPILLAR Hall A/B on the B2 floor of TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY THE LINKPILLAR 1 SOUTH, in addition to the awards ceremony, an award party will be held where guests can enjoy pairings of sake ranked in the top 20% of all categories with dishes devised by the head chef of Happo-en, as well as interact with participating breweries.
The judging team consists of technical guidance instructors from across the country, brewery owners selected by their recommendations, and experts active in the sake industry. Both preliminary and final judging involve tasting with brands hidden. The display order is also shuffled by a computer, ensuring a strict environment.
Going forward, information regarding the final judging and awards ceremony of "SAKE COMPETITION 2026" will be announced sequentially.
What is SAKE COMPETITION?
One of the world's largest competitions exclusively for sake. It started in 2012 with the philosophy of "establishing new standards so that consumers can encounter truly delicious sake regardless of the brand."
The scale has expanded with each iteration. Driving sake trends and laying the foundation for quality improvement, the 11th edition in 2025 gathered over 1,000 entries, making it a spectacular competition.
The criteria are comprehensively evaluated based on two points: "Dignity as refined sake," which asks whether it deviates from the typical aroma and taste of a beverage made from rice, and "Suitability as a drinking beverage," which asks whether it excels as a drink to be enjoyed. The top 10 items in each category are awarded GOLD and their ranking, and the top 10% of the category below GOLD are awarded SILVER.
SAKE COMPETITION 2026 Judging Overview
Judging will take place in five categories: Junmai, Junmai Ginjo, Junmai Daiginjo, Super Premium, and Modern Natural. The entry criteria for each category are primarily based on label descriptions, but entries are possible if verifiable via websites, etc. It is limited to refined sake that has a sales record or is planned to be sold between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. For products planned to be sold, a condition for entry is that the product, including its appearance such as "product name" and "label," must be completed by April 10, 2026, regardless of the release date.
The entry conditions for each category are as follows.
SAKE COMPETITION 2026 Overview
Co-organizer: East Japan Railway Company
Special Sponsor: Diners Club
Sponsors: Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., Riedel, Kiku Plan Do Co., Ltd., JALUX Inc.
Cooperation: JA Zen-Noh Okayama, Shin-Nakano Industry Co., Ltd.
Media Partner: BS-TBS, INC.
Supported by: National Tax Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters Cabinet Office
Operator: Corporation
SAKE COMPETITION 2026 Official Website: https://sakecompetition.com/
Awards Ceremony & Party Ticket Sales Site: https://peatix.com/event/4764559
Scenes from last year's awards ceremony (2025)
Despite the global spread of the "sake boom," the issue remains that the types and tastes of sake are "hard to understand" for many people. In this context, "SAKE COMPETITION" began in 2012 with the philosophy of "establishing new standards so that consumers can encounter truly delicious sake regardless of the brand."
Only commercially available sake is subject to judging, and the judging method thoroughly ensures that brands are completely hidden, competing solely on the quality of the sake. It is a competition where any brand has a chance to take first place, as the judging team is not influenced by brands or labels.
This year, judging will take place across five categories: "Junmai," "Junmai Ginjo," "Junmai Daiginjo," "Super Premium," and "Modern Natural." In addition, an "Awamori Category" will be specially added to commemorate the scheduled restoration of the Shuri Castle Main Hall in the fall of 2026. Preliminary judging will be held on Tuesday, May 12, and final judging on Wednesday, May 13, and Thursday, May 14. On Wednesday, June 10, at LINKPILLAR Hall A/B on the B2 floor of TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY THE LINKPILLAR 1 SOUTH, in addition to the awards ceremony, an award party will be held where guests can enjoy pairings of sake ranked in the top 20% of all categories with dishes devised by the head chef of Happo-en, as well as interact with participating breweries.
The judging team consists of technical guidance instructors from across the country, brewery owners selected by their recommendations, and experts active in the sake industry. Both preliminary and final judging involve tasting with brands hidden. The display order is also shuffled by a computer, ensuring a strict environment.
Going forward, information regarding the final judging and awards ceremony of "SAKE COMPETITION 2026" will be announced sequentially.
What is SAKE COMPETITION?
One of the world's largest competitions exclusively for sake. It started in 2012 with the philosophy of "establishing new standards so that consumers can encounter truly delicious sake regardless of the brand."
The scale has expanded with each iteration. Driving sake trends and laying the foundation for quality improvement, the 11th edition in 2025 gathered over 1,000 entries, making it a spectacular competition.
The criteria are comprehensively evaluated based on two points: "Dignity as refined sake," which asks whether it deviates from the typical aroma and taste of a beverage made from rice, and "Suitability as a drinking beverage," which asks whether it excels as a drink to be enjoyed. The top 10 items in each category are awarded GOLD and their ranking, and the top 10% of the category below GOLD are awarded SILVER.
SAKE COMPETITION 2026 Judging Overview
Judging will take place in five categories: Junmai, Junmai Ginjo, Junmai Daiginjo, Super Premium, and Modern Natural. The entry criteria for each category are primarily based on label descriptions, but entries are possible if verifiable via websites, etc. It is limited to refined sake that has a sales record or is planned to be sold between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. For products planned to be sold, a condition for entry is that the product, including its appearance such as "product name" and "label," must be completed by April 10, 2026, regardless of the release date.
The entry conditions for each category are as follows.
SAKE COMPETITION 2026 Overview
Co-organizer: East Japan Railway Company
Special Sponsor: Diners Club
Sponsors: Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., Riedel, Kiku Plan Do Co., Ltd., JALUX Inc.
Cooperation: JA Zen-Noh Okayama, Shin-Nakano Industry Co., Ltd.
Media Partner: BS-TBS, INC.
Supported by: National Tax Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters Cabinet Office
Operator: Corporation