SAKE COMPETITION 2026 to Be Held at Takanawa Gateway, with Special Awamori Category
KAMPAI Editorial
SAKE COMPETITION, a blind-tasting competition that ranks commercially available sake purely on quality, returns for its 12th edition in 2026. Judging takes place May 12–14, and the awards ceremony and reception will be held on June 10 at the newly opened Takanawa Gateway City THE LINKPILLAR 1 SOUTH, B2F, in Tokyo. In honor of the Shuri Castle reconstruction, a special awamori category has been added for this year only.
Judged blind, brand names hidden
Launched in 2012, SAKE COMPETITION is designed around a simple idea: judge the sake, not the label. All entries are evaluated blind, with brand names completely concealed. The organizers describe the goal as "creating a new standard so consumers can discover sake they truly enjoy, regardless of brand recognition."
The 11th edition in 2025 drew more than 1,000 entries. In each category, the top 10 receive GOLD and those in the top 10 percent receive SILVER.
Six categories, including a special awamori division
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Junmai | Junmai sake |
| Junmai Ginjo | Junmai ginjo sake |
| Junmai Daiginjo | Junmai daiginjo sake |
| Super Premium | 720ml bottles priced ¥10,000 or more |
| Modern Natural | Contemporary natural-style sake |
| Awamori (special) | Added for 2026 only, marking the Shuri Castle reconstruction |
The Super Premium category creates a separate stage for the highest-priced releases, while Modern Natural is designed to capture newer styles that don't fit neatly into traditional classifications. Awamori, Okinawa's distilled rice spirit, appearing alongside sake categories is unusual for a competition of this kind.
Venue: a new space at Takanawa Gateway
The ceremony and reception will take place on June 10 at THE LINKPILLAR 1 SOUTH, part of the Takanawa Gateway City development that opened in 2025. Top 20 percent entrants from each category are invited to the reception, and general admission tickets are available for ¥30,000 through Peatix (on sale since April 21).
Event details
- Event: SAKE COMPETITION 2026
- Judging: May 12 (Tue) – 14 (Thu), 2026
- Awards ceremony & reception: June 10 (Wed), 2026
- Venue: Takanawa Gateway City THE LINKPILLAR 1 SOUTH, B2F, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Categories: Junmai / Junmai Ginjo / Junmai Daiginjo / Super Premium / Modern Natural / Awamori (special)
- Reception ticket: ¥30,000 (Peatix)
- Website: sakecompetition.com
Worth checking back when the results come out in June.