A New "Miss Amazake": Japan's Sake Pageant Group Turns Its Lens on a Centuries-Old Drink

Miss SAKE, the association that has spent years sending Japanese sake culture out into the world, is launching a new offshoot focused on amazake — a low- or non-alcoholic fermented rice drink with deep roots in Japan. The final round of "Miss Amazake" will be held on Saturday, May 16 at Kanda Myojin Hall in Tokyo, where twelve finalists will compete for the inaugural title.

The framing is straightforward: the same organization that has trained and dispatched sake ambassadors is now turning the same machinery toward amazake.

A new track within the Miss SAKE family

Miss SAKE has run roughly 400 cultural events a year, both in Japan and abroad. "Miss Amazake" is a new category branching off from that base, co-produced with Bishojo Zukan Inc., a talent and editorial outfit best known for discovering actresses like Fumi Nikaido. The Miss SAKE side brings cultural reach; the Bishojo Zukan side brings a track record of finding new faces.

Applicants are women aged 10 to 29 holding Japanese citizenship; minors require parental consent. The stated aim is to train young people who can learn Japan's traditional culture and communicate it at home and abroad.

Twelve finalists, three paths

Twelve finalists advance to the final round, drawn from three different entry tracks: five from a live-stream round, two from a video round, and five from in-person auditions.

Judging rests on three pillars: presence and expression, the substance of how candidates speak, and an international sensibility paired with language ability. The criteria assume the role goes beyond domestic events and includes communicating Japanese drinking culture overseas.

"Culture should be updated, not just preserved"

In her statement, representative director Mika Onishi frames it this way: "Culture is something to be protected, but also something that should be updated to fit the times."

Amazake itself is hardly new — it was a summer pick-me-up in the Edo period, sold cold on the street as a quick nutritional drink. What has changed is its surrounding context: rising interest in low-and-no alcohol, the wellness boom, and a generation of drinkers comfortable choosing non-alcoholic options at the table. Putting an ambassador next to amazake, the way one already exists for sake, fits that drift.

We'll be watching to see what the inaugural Miss Amazake actually does over the year.