IWC's SAKE Division Heads to Higashi-Hiroshima, the Birthplace of Ginjo

The SAKE division of the International Wine Challenge (IWC), one of the world's largest wine competitions, will be held in Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, from May 18 to 21, 2026. The venue is the Higashi-Hiroshima Arts and Culture Hall Kurara.

The IWC was founded in London in 1984 as a blind tasting competition. Its SAKE division, established in 2007, is the largest sake judging event held outside Japan. While the competition is normally held in London, the SAKE division has come to Japan before — Tokyo (2012), Hyogo (2016), and Yamagata (2018). Hiroshima will be the fourth Japanese host.

Why Higashi-Hiroshima

Higashi-Hiroshima is known as the birthplace of ginjo-shu (premium sake brewed with highly polished rice). The city has 10 breweries. Seven are concentrated in the Saijo district, which ranks alongside Nada (Hyogo) and Fushimi (Kyoto) as one of Japan's three great sake towns.

The Akitsu district has two breweries and is the birthplace of the "Hiroshima toji" (Hiroshima-style master brewer tradition). There's one more in the Kurose district. For a small city, Higashi-Hiroshima has an unusually deep connection to sake history.

Holding the IWC's SAKE division in the place where ginjo was born — the choice of location says something.

Public Events Still to Be Announced

The judging itself is for industry insiders, but public-facing events are planned. Details and ticketing haven't been announced yet. We'll follow up when they are.