The world's most delicious sake is decided! SAKE COMPETITION 2023 Awards Ceremony Held, Involving Hidetoshi Nakata and Others!

The world's largest sake competition, the SAKE COMPETITION, held its 2023 awards ceremony on June 14 at The Peninsula Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo).

The project was initiated by Hasegawa Sake Shop, a sake retailer in Tokyo, with the involvement of former Japanese national soccer team member Hidetoshi Nakata and others which started in 2012 with the idea of "setting a new standard so that consumers can encounter more truly delicious sake, regardless of brand". Only commercially available sake is eligible, and the judging is done in blind method, with the brand name completely hidden. Therefore, any brand has a chance to win first prize. The results attract attention not only from sake fans, but also from buyers and other market participants in Japan and abroad.

Introducing the Awards and the Award-Winning Sake Breweries

This year, out of 1,000 entries and 335 breweries, the judging was conducted in four categories: "Junmai Sake Category ", "Junmai Ginjo Category", "Junmai Daiginjo Category", and "SUPER PREMIUM Category". Plus, the "Sakenomy Best Brewery of the Year," the "Diners Club Young Encouragement Award," and the "JAL Flying SAKE Award" were also announced by the host, TBS announcer Sylvia Kato.

Junmai Sake Category

Sake with the specific name "Junmai Daiginjo". Sake with the specific name "Junmai Daiginjo" may also be entered, even if it is labeled as "Junmai Daiginjo" such as "Yamahai Junmai Daiginjo," "Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo," or "Daiginjo Junmai". The presenter was Ms. Natsumi Uga, a freelance announcer who loves sake so much that in her private time she visits bars all over Japan. Ms. Uga handed a Riedel trophy and plaque to the winners.

 (Number of entries: 333 / 171 qualifiers / 33 top-prize winners)

1st Prize: "Yuki no Matsushima Umi -KAI- Hitomebore Junmai Genshu (雪の松島 海 -KAI- ひとめぼれ 純米原酒)" by Taiwagura Sake Brewery (大和蔵酒造株式会社) / Miyagi Prefecture 

2nd Prize: "Houken Junmai-shu Retro Label (宝剣 純米酒 レトロラベル)" Houken Shuzo(宝剣酒造株式会社) / Hiroshima Prefecture 

3rd Prize: "Gakki Masamune Junjo (楽器正宗 純醸)", Oki Daikichi Honten (合名会社大木代吉本店) / Fukushima Prefecture 

4th Prize:  "Bunkajin Junmai-shu (文佳人 純米酒)" by Arisawa (株式会社アリサワ) / Kochi Prefecture 

5th Prize: "Bijofu special Junmai (美丈夫 特別純米)" by Hamakawa Shoten (有限会社濵川商店) / Kochi Prefecture 

6th Prize: "Utashiro -Tamayura - (雅楽代 〜玉響〜)" by Tenryohai Sake Brewery (天領盃酒造株式会社) / Niigata Prefecture 

7th Prize: "UGO AURORA" by Aihara Shuzo (相原酒造株式会社) / Hiroshima Prefecture 

8th Prize: "Tenjomugen - Yoguchi Tokubetsu Junmai (天上夢幻 旨口 特別純米)" by Nakayu Shuzoten (株式会社中勇酒造店) / Miyagi Prefecture 

9th Prize: "Houken Junmai Shu (宝剣 純米酒)" by Houken Shuzo (宝剣酒造株式会社) / Hiroshima Prefecture 

10th Prize: "Senkin Modern Senkin Muku (仙禽 モダン仙禽 無垢)" by SENKIN (株式会社せんきん) / Tochigi Prefecture

Mr. Nobuo Yamauchi, President of Taiwagura Shuzo, who won the first prize

Mr. Nobuo Yamauchi, President of Taiwagura Shuzo, who won the first prize, said, "Thank you very much for this very prestigious award. The sake we entered this time was the result of our young toji (a chief sake brewer), who is only in his second term in the position, expressing his desire to create a junmai sake with this kind of flavor. He is just starting out, but I am happy that his thoughts were conveyed in the sake.

Junmai Ginjo Category

Sake labeled with the specific name "Junmai Ginjo". Sake with the specific name "Junmai Ginjo" may be entered, as well as sake with the label "Yamahai Junmai Ginjo", "KimotoJunmai Ginjo", or "Ginjo Junmai" which can be judged as "Junmai Ginjo Sake". The presenter was actress Ms. Eri Murakawa, who became fascinated with sake when she visited Yamagata Prefecture for a photo shoot and became a certified sake connoisseur. Ms. Murakawa handed a Riedel trophy and plaque to the winners. 

 (Number of entries: 343 / 175 qualifiers / 34 top-prize winners)

1st Prize: "Ugo no Tsuki Junmai Ginjyo Yamadanishiki (雨後の月 純米吟醸 山田錦)" by Aiharashuzo (相原酒造株式会社) / Hiroshima Prefecture 

2nd Prize: "Kameizumi Junmai Ginjo Ginroku (亀泉 純米吟醸 吟麓)" by Kameizumi Sake Brewing (亀泉酒造株式会社) / Kochi Prefecture 

3rd Prize: "Fukucho Hattanso Junmai Ginjo (富久長 八反草 純米吟醸)" by Imada Sake Brewing (株式会社今田酒造本店) / Hiroshima Prefecture 

4th Prize: "Imanishiki Junmai Ginjo Miyamanishiki (今錦 純米吟醸 美山錦)" by Yonezawa Shuzo (米澤酒造株式会社) / Nagano Prefecture 

5th Prize: "Toyo Bijin Junmai Ginjo 50 (東洋美人 純米吟醸 50)" by Sumikawa Brewery (株式会社澄川酒造場) / Yamaguchi Prefecture 

6th Prize: "Hakurakusei Junmai Ginjo (伯楽星 純米吟醸)" by Niizawa Brewery (株式会社新澤醸造店) / Miyazawa Prefecture 

7th Prize: "Mine-no-Hakubai Junmai Ginjo (峰乃白梅 純米吟醸)" by Mineno Hakubai Shuzo (峰乃白梅酒造株式会社) / Niigata Prefecture 

8th Prize: "Ishizuchi Junmai Ginjo Midori Label (石鎚 純米吟醸 緑ラベル)" by Ishizuchi Shuzo (石鎚酒造株式会社) / Ehime Prefecture 

9th Prize: "Watashu Junmai Ginjo Gojugo (渡舟 純米吟醸五十五)" by Huchu Homare (府中誉株式会社) / Ibaraki Prefecture 

10th Prize: "Hokosugi Yuminariho Shizuku Junmai Ginjo-shu (鉾杉 弓形穂 しずく純米吟醸酒)" by Kawabu Brewery (河武醸造株式会社) / Mie Prefecture

Mr. Junichiro Aihara, Representative Director, Aihara Shuzo, who won first prize

We are very happy to have won first prize for the first time since 2013," said Junichiro Aihara, President of Aihara Shuzo. This sake has long been sold as a regular junmai ginjo. We are very happy that this sake was awarded first prize. We will continue to work hard to make even better sake in the future. Thank you very much."

Junmai Daiginjo Category

Sake with the specific name "Junmai Daiginjo". Sake with the specific name "Junmai Daiginjo" may also be entered, even if it is labeled as "Junmai Daiginjo" such as "Yamahai Junmai Daiginjo," "Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo," or "Daiginjo Junmai". The presenter was Ms. Natsumi Uga, a freelance announcer who loves sake so much that in her private time she visits bars all over Japan. Ms. Uga handed a Riedel trophy and plaque to the winners. 

 (Number of entries: 333 / 171 qualifiers / 33 top-prize winners)

1st Prize: "Ohmine 2 Grain Hiire Yamadanishiki (大嶺2粒 火入れ 山田錦)" Ohmine Syuzo (大嶺酒造株式会社) / Yamaguchi Prefecture 

2nd Prize: "Ugo no Tsuki Junmai Daiginjo Aiyama (雨後の月 純米大吟醸 愛山)" Aiharashuzo (相原酒造株式会社) / Hiroshima Prefecture 

3rd Prize: "Mii no Kotobuki Junmai Daiginjyo Fuku (三井の寿 純米大吟醸 福)", Mii no Kotobuki (株式会社みいの寿) / Fukuoka Prefecture 

4th Prize: "Suirakuten Junmai Daiginjyo Hyakudenbare (酔楽天 純米大吟醸 百田晴)" Akita Shuzo Co., Ltd. (秋田酒造株式会社) / Akita Prefecture 

5th Prize: "Toyo Bijin Ichibanmatoi Junmai Daiginjo (東洋美人 壱番纏 純米大吟醸)", Sumikawa Sake Brewery (株式会社澄川酒造場) / Yamaguchi Prefecture 

6th Prize: "IWANOI Junmai Daiginjo (磐乃井 純米大吟醸)" Iwanoi Shuzo (磐乃井酒造株式会社) / Iwate Prefecture 

7th Prize: "Aizu Chujo Junmai Daiginjo Tokujoushu (会津中将 純米大吟醸 特醸酒)", Tsurunoe Shuzo Co., Ltd. (鶴乃江酒造株式会社) / Fukushima Prefecture 

8th Prize: "BRILLIANCE Kame no O (BRILLIANCE 亀の尾)" by Kamo Nishiki Shuzo (加茂錦酒造株式会社) / Niigata Prefecture 

9th Prize: "KamoKinshu Junmai Daiginjo 40 (賀茂金秀 純米大吟醸40)", Kanemitsu Shuzo (金光酒造合資会社) / Hiroshima Prefecture 

10th Prize: "Machida Shuzo 35 Junmai Daiginjo premium (町田酒造35　純米大吟醸 premium )" Machida Shuzo (株式会社町田酒造店) / Gunma Prefecture

Mr. Takeshi Akiyama, President of Ohmine Shuzo, who won the first prize

It has been five years since we established the brewery. I didn't expect to win first prize today, so I am so surprised that I can't come up with any words.... I am truly grateful. We have been able to come this far thanks to the teachings of our seniors. I would like to express my gratitude. I would like to do whatever new things we can do while utilizing the wisdom of our predecessors.

Special Award, Super Premium Category

Sake with a retail price of 10,000 yen (tax not included) or more for 720 ml or 15,000 yen (tax not included) or more for 1800 ml, not limited to sake with a specific name (特定名称酒). Ms. OOJA, a singer from Mie Prefecture, home of the first-prize winner "Zaku (作), " was the presenter. Riedel trophies and plaques were handed to the winners. 

(Number of entries: 51 / 5 top prize winners)

Mr. Shinichiro Shimizu, President of Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, who won the first prize

I didn't think that the period when we couldn't drink alcohol (due to the Corona Virus Pandemic) would last this long, but I could see that people continued to support alcohol during that time, and I wanted to deliver even more delicious alcohol. We want to continue to make sake that we can always pair with the food we eat and that we find delicious in our daily lives."

Special Award, Diners Club Young Encouragement Award

Established in 2016 to support the next generation of sake brewers, this award is given to the brew master of the highest-ranked award-winning sake brewery who is 40 years old or younger and is supported in terms of sales expansion and product PR, including introduction to Diners Club members. Mr. Koji Igarashi, President of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Club, Diners Club's agent in Japan, presented the winners with a special Riedel trophy and an article in the Diners Club booklet as a complimentary gift.

Junmai-shu Category 1st Prize: Mr. Kaishi Sekiya, Toji (a chief sake maker), Taiwagura Shuzo (Miyagi)

Mr. Kaishi Sekiya, Toji (a chief sake maker), Taiwagura Shuzo

I am delighted to receive this award. The sake we make is the crystallization of techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation by our predecessors. We will continue to strive to protect, nurture, and pass on our traditions. It has only been two years since I started working as a toji (a chief sake maker). There are many sake breweries that I have yet to visit, and I would like to visit them. I would like to take this opportunity to ask for your help." He called out to the brewers in the hall, inviting laughter and creating a warm atmosphere in the hall.

Special Award - JAL Flying SAKE Award

This award is given to sake breweries in the three Junmai categories (Junmai Daiginjo, Junmai Ginjo, and Junmai Sake) that, despite their vigor, have limited shipments and are rare even in Japan, from the perspective of making them known to people overseas. For a limited time, the sake will be used in the first class of Japan Airlines domestic flights and in JAL international lounges at Narita and Haneda. Mr. Koji Igarashi, President of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Club presented the winners with a special Riedel trophy and a pair of tickets for JAL international business class flights as a supplementary prize.

Mr. Yoshiro Takahashi, President and Representative Director, Mine-No-Hakubai Shuzo

Mr. Yoshiro Takahashi, President of Mine-No-Hakubai Shuzo

I was very surprised. I had not expected this at all. It is such an honor to receive the JAL Flying SAKE Award following the Junmai Ginjo. I would like to express my gratitude. With Corona as a starting point, we started working on exports last year. We are currently exploring various ways to market our products to people overseas. I have been running my company for 6 years. I think that we are finally producing sake that is worthy of the name. We will continue to devote ourselves to it.

Special Award - Sakenomy Best Brewery of the Year

The "Sakenomy Best Brewery of the Year" was selected by Sakenomy, a sake sommelier application run by JAPAN CRAFT SAKE COMPANY, which is represented by Mr. Hidetoshi Nakata. Mr. Nakata presented the Riedel trophy and 100 Riedel Junmai glasses to the first-prize winner, Takagi Shuzo (高木酒造)

1st Prize: "Juyondai (十四代)" Takagi Shuzo (高木酒造株式会社) / Yamagata Prefecture

2nd Prize: "Aramasa (新政)" by Aramasa (新政酒造株式会社) / Akita Prefecture

3rd Prize: "Abe (あべ)" by Abe Shuzo (阿部酒造) / Niigata Prefecture

Mr. Akitsuna Takagi, President of Takagi Shuzo, who won the first prize.

After he made the audience laugh by saying his name again in front of his fellow brewers, whom he knew well, he said, "Thank you very much for the award. Thank you very much for this wonderful honor. I have been making sake for 30 years this year. “Honmaru (本丸)" is also 30 years old. It is a great honor for us to receive such an award with great support from sake retailers and customers on this milestone year. I will keep my original intention in mind and use this award as encouragement to continue doing what I have been doing for the first year.

Comment from the presenter, Mr. Hidetoshi Nakata

I have been using the Sakenomy application for about eight years now. This is the first time I have applied for the award. I can only compete with one product. However, when it comes to brands and sake breweries, it depends on how well they can maintain the level of branding and history of all their products. Mr. Takagi mentioned 30 years, but Takagi Brewery has a history of over 400 years, and I think this result is due to the fact that all of their national and local products are highly rated by consumers. I am sure there is still a long history to come, and I wish you all the best in furthering that passion into the future." 

We spoke with the award winners!

Mr. Junichiro Aihara, Representative Director, Aihara Shuzo
(1st Prize in Junmai Ginjo category, 2nd Prize in Junmai Daiginjo category, 7th Prize in Junmai category)

This is the first time in 10 years that it has won first prize. How do you like it?

Mr. Aihara:
I am very happy because first prize is partly due to luck. This time, the number of entries was limited to four, and we entered three excellent items, all of which made it into the top 10. The "Ugo no Tsuki Junmai Daiginjo Aiyama (雨後の月 純米大吟醸 愛山)," which won second prize, was especially good. “UGO AURORA", which received 7th prize in the Junmai category, was a sake produced by my son. I guess it was good that it was made with Shingin-seimai rice recommended by Satake, a local rice-polishing company in Hiroshima, and that it was a clear sake.

Are there any differences from when you won the award in 2013?

Mr. Aihara:
At the time, sake brands such as "Juyondai (十四代),” "Hiroki (飛露喜)," "Isojiman (磯自慢)," and "Toyo Bijin (東洋美人)" dominated the top ranks, and our "Zaku (作)" was always at the bottom. In blind tastings (tasting sake without labels or brands), sake with an alcohol content of 15 to 16 percent has a greater impact. I remember how happy I was to win first prize with the 13% alcohol’s sake that we had developed. What made me even happier this time was the fact that there were seven sake breweries from Hiroshima that made the top 10, including Houken Shuzo (宝剣酒造), Kanemitsu Shuzo (金光酒造), and Imada Shuzo Honten (今田酒造本店). This could be a chance to draw attention to Hiroshima's sake. We will do our best to make sure that happens.

After the Corona Disaster, this was the first time in four years that you held a Sake competition.

Mr. Aihara:
When we win first prize, the demand for our sake increases to the point where there is a shortage of sake. But this time, due to the Corona disaster, we had to order rice during February and March, when there were restrictions on the supply of alcoholic beverages. We held off on buying rice as a raw material, thinking that we didn't need to make that much, but there were signs of a gradual resurgence. At that point, we moved to secure additional rice, but the yields of late maturing Yamadanishiki and other types of rice were not abundant, and the production of "Ugo no Tsuki Junmai Ginjo Yamadanishiki (雨後の月 純米吟醸 山田錦)" was quite small; so we wondered what to do (laughs).

Chief Executive Officer, Takeshi Akiyama, from Ohmine Shuzo
(1st Prize in Junmai Daiginjo category)

Please tell us about the award-winning "Ohmine 2 Grain Hiire Yamadanishiki".

Mr. Akiyama:
It is a sake that we have been making for 13 years and have adjusted the balance of the sake. It has a fruity aroma and sweetness, but it also has an acidity that makes the aftertaste surprisingly sharp. It is a sake that can be paired with white-flesh fish. While pursuing balance as a sake, we also aimed to make a sake that goes well with meals, which is what we have done with "Ohmine 2 Grain Hiire Yamadanishiki" for the past several years.

I understand that the brewing water is from the "Beppu Benten Pond"?

Mr. Akiyama:
That is right. Originally, we used to fetch water from the pond, but since the new brewery was built, we have been using water from the same water vein, which is close to the pond. The water is a very rare type of soft water with high calcium content. High calcium usually results in hard water, but because it is located halfway between a karst plateau and another mountain, the water is high in calcium but soft with no other minerals in it. It activates the yeast, which makes it ideal for sake brewing, and the result is sake that can only be made here. We are also blessed with the region.

How do you want to make the most of your award?

Mr. Akiyama:
I would like to encourage the members of the brewery, which currently has about 30 people. I am sure that the customers who have told us that our sake is delicious will feel that their taste buds were not mistaken when they receive this award. It is a standard that allows us, as employees, to feel that what we have been doing was right.

Mr. Kaishi Sekiya, toji (a chief sake brewer) from Taiwagura Shuzo
(Junmai-shu Category 1st Prize, Special Award, Diners Club Young Award)
Mr. Nobuo Yamauchi, President of Taiwagura Shuzo and Mr. Kaishi Sekiya, who is a toji (a chief sake brewer)

Taiwagura Shuzo is a new sake brewery established in 1996. I know this may sound rude, but to be honest, I had not marked it as an award-winning brewery.

Mr. Sekiya:
We didn't think we would be invited either. We wondered if we were invited even though we were not in the competition! We even thought that we were invited even though we were not in the competition. We were really surprised to be invited at the end of the category (1st prize).

When receiving the first prize for Junmai-shu Category, the president told us, “Our company's chief brewer is only in his second year.''

Mr. Sekiya:
I graduated from the Faculty of Brewing and Fermentation at Tokyo University of Agriculture and joined the company as a new graduate in 2014. My university classmates include Mr. Ryunosuke Furudate of Akabu Shuzo (赤武酒造), Mr. Chikara Urazato of Urazato Shuzoten (浦里酒造店), and Mr. Ippo Takagi of Takagi Shuzo (高木酒造). I was appointed to replace “Nanbu toji”, who had been with the company for many years. This is only my second term as toji. Including myself, there are six members in the production team. Two are in charge of koji, I am in charge of moromi (fermentation mash), one is in charge of filtration, one is a rice steamer, and one is in charge of yeast. In terms of age, one of the members is younger than me, and the rest are in their 50s.

You mentioned that the award-winning "Yuki no Matsushima Umi -KAI Hitomebore Junmai Genshu" was "the sake that the toji wanted to make”.

Mr. Sekiya:
Yes, that is correct. We have not changed the brewing method, but in order to prevent the carbon dioxide gas and the flavor of the freshly pressed sake from escaping, we introduced a pasteurizer*1 for hi-ire*2 and bottled the sake the same day it was raised to the top of the tank. We usually use "Kyokai No. 9 yeast," but we used "Ogawa No. 10 yeast" inspired by "Kiri-Tsukuba (Urazato Shuzo)," a brewery we worked with. "Kiri-Tsukuba" gives a very gorgeous aroma, but in our case, it has a more subdued atmosphere. And this is the third year we are using Hitomebore rice produced in Taiwa-machi, Kurokawa-gun, Miyagi Prefecture, where our brewery is located. Since it is edible rice, it is difficult to make koji, and the lees ratio was high without melting, but winning the award has given us confidence. We will continue to push forward in the future.

1 Hi-ire: Sake is made by boiling sake in a bottle or a snake pipe at 60-65℃ for a certain period of time. The purpose of this process is to kill fire-retardant bacteria, which are the great enemy of sake, and to stop the movement of other yeasts in the liquid to maintain a consistent flavor.  

*2Pastillizer: A device that showers low temperature filled sake toward the bottles while moving them on a conveyor belt, gradually raising the temperature to a set level for heat sterilization, and then gradually lowering it to the set temperature before discharging the bottles.

Be sure to check out the award-winning sake and other sake from the award-winning breweries!

Each time the award-winning sake is presented, it attracts a flood of attention and demand from Japan and around the world. The best part of this contest is that only commercially available sake is entered, although some sake are produced in small quantities. Please check out the competition at sake retailers and e-commerce stores. 

Sake breweries that have won awards in the "SAKE COMPETITION" through rigorous judging, won top prizes, and made it to the finals have proven that they are breweries with solid technical capabilities that they continue to improve every day. In addition to the award-winning products, we encourage you to pick up and try other sake made by the same brewery with different specifications. We hope that the SAKE COMPETITION will be a catalyst for many people to pick up a bottle of sake and enjoy sake on a daily basis as a matter of course.