178 New Sakes From 60 Breweries Across Aichi, Gifu, and Mie: "Shin SAKE SQUARE" Hits Nagoya March 20–22
KAMPAI Editorial
"Shin SAKE SQUARE 2026," a sake festival co-organized by the sake brewers' associations of Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures along with radio station ZIP-FM, will be held at Yaba Park in Nagoya from March 20 (national holiday) through March 22. Sixty breweries from the three prefectures will pour 178 varieties, with a focus on shinshu (newly released sake).
The breakdown: 21 breweries from Aichi, 23 from Gifu, 16 from Mie. Breweries rotate daily, so the lineup changes each day.
A Sake Quest in Your Pocket
This year's highlight is "Sake Quest," a new feature in the official "Sake Fes Guide" app. It's a stamp-rally-style game: complete quests by tasting new sakes and buying food at the venue, and earn bonus coins. Those coins can be spent on more tastings and food.
There are three quest types. "Tasting Quest" rewards you for trying 4, 8, or 12 new sakes from each prefecture. "Food Quest" rewards cumulative food spending. "Free Quest" includes tasks like taking a photo at a designated spot or listening to ZIP-FM on radiko.
Tickets and How It Works
Entry requires a starter set.
| Ticket | Price | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Advance (ticket agencies) | ¥3,000 | 10 coins + sake cup + wristband |
| Advance (app-only, boosted) | ¥4,500 | 20 coins + sake cup + wristband |
| Day-of | ¥3,600 | 10 coins + sake cup + wristband |
Additional coins are ¥200 each. Food and soft drinks are also purchased with coins. The eco-discount option (no cup, 13 coins, ¥3,000) is already sold out.
Hours are 11 AM to 7 PM (last day until 6 PM). Last order is 30 minutes before closing.
Food: Seafood, Karaage, Yakisoba
Food vendors include Iida Shoten (seafood), Kaishin Bussan (clams), Eight Foods (yakisoba and grilled skewers), Yukichi Karaage (fried chicken), and Nakata no Sakana (seafood dishes) — all sake-friendly picks.
Next weekend in Nagoya. 178 new sakes from the Tokai region's three prefectures, rotating over three days. You can't try them all, but with Sake Quest nudging you from booth to booth, you might just stumble onto a new favorite from a brewery you've never heard of.