A Sake Brewery Just Placed 2nd at Japan's Biggest Business Conference

Ine to Agave, a sake brewery in the small coastal city of Oga, Akita Prefecture, has placed second at the Catapult Grand Prix, the main stage event at ICC Summit FUKUOKA 2026, the company announced via PR TIMES.

ICC Summit is one of Japan's largest business conferences, held twice a year in Fukuoka and Kyoto. Each edition draws over 500 speakers and 1,200 executives and business leaders. The event is best known in startup and tech circles, making it unusual for a sake brewery to compete on this stage.

A New Genre Called "Craft Sake"

Ine to Agave was founded in 2021 by Shuhei Okazumi. The brewery specializes in what's known as "craft sake."

Under Japan's liquor tax law, sake must be made from only rice, koji, and water. Craft sake breaks this mold by incorporating ingredients like fruits and herbs. It falls under the "other brewed beverages" license category. Since Ine to Agave pioneered this genre, over 30 new craft sake producers have entered the market.

50,000 Visitors a Year in a Town of 25,000

Oga's population is around 25,000. Yet over 50,000 people now visit the town annually — 200 times more than when the brewery started.

Ine to Agave has expanded far beyond brewing. In just four years, the company has opened nine facilities including a restaurant, hotels, a distillery, a food processing workshop, a ramen shop, and a bar. Okazumi says he took the stage "not as a community developer, but as a brewer" — though the results speak otherwise.

Exports to 10+ Countries and Regulatory Reform

The brand has gone international, exporting to over 10 countries. Its products appear on menus at Michelin-starred restaurants and bars featured in the World's Best Bars list.

Ine to Agave is also pushing for regulatory change, working toward the creation of a "sake special zone." The effort contributed to the launch of a deregulation working group under Japan's Cabinet Office. Under current law, obtaining a new sake production license is extremely difficult. If the special zone is realized, craft sake producers could gain a path to brewing sake itself.

In four years, this brewery has moved simultaneously across three fronts: sake-making, town revitalization, and regulatory reform. The title of Okazumi's presentation: "Sake-making is a challenge to create culture 2,000 years from now."