Tsunan Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tsunan Town, Nakauonuma District, Niigata Prefecture; President: Kengo Suzuki, hereinafter “Tsunan Sake Brewery”) participated in the 2025 National New Sake Appraisal Public Tasting Event held on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. At the event, we proudly presented our award-winning sake “Tsunan Haku,” which received the Gold Prize at the 2025 National New Sake Appraisal.
This annual tasting event, organized by the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, brings together approximately 400 award-winning sake brands selected from over 1,600 sake breweries across Japan. The self-service tasting format allowed visitors—from sake enthusiasts and university students to international tourists—to sample freely. As 2025 marks the first year since “Traditional Sake Brewing” was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, the event attracted exceptional attention. Tickets were sold out, and a total of 1,221 guests enjoyed the diverse expressions of Japanese sake through all five senses.
At this special gathering, we offered “Tsunan Haku” as one of the award-winning entries and had the opportunity to directly hear valuable feedback from many visitors. Our sake garnered particular interest as the only Gold Prize winner brewed with “Gohyakumangoku,” a representative sake rice of Niigata, in contrast to the many entries made with the nationally dominant “Yamada Nishiki.” This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our Toji (master brewer) Masaya Takizawa, our skilled brewery team, and the local farmers who carefully cultivate the Gohyakumangoku rice. We are proud to have this award reaffirm the value of our community-based brewing.
The event also served as a platform for direct dialogue with sake lovers and industry professionals from other prefectures. Through these interactions and honest tasting feedback, we gained fresh insights for future brewing efforts and renewed our commitment to refine the unique identity of Tsunan sake.
Beyond being a tasting event, the public appraisal featured various educational experiences such as a “First-Time Tasting Corner,” seminars on traditional brewing methods, and panel exhibitions. These programs allowed visitors to explore the depth of sake culture from multiple perspectives. We were particularly encouraged by the growing interest among younger generations and international attendees.
Tsunan Sake Brewery will continue to foster connections with other distinctive breweries across Japan and remain committed to crafting sake rooted in our region—sake that will be loved nationwide and beyond.
Event Overview: 2025 National New Sake Appraisal Public Tasting
- Event Name:
2025 National New Sake Appraisal Public Tasting Event - Date:
Saturday, July 12, 2025- Session 1: 10:00–13:00
- Session 2: 15:00–18:00
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Traditional Brewing Seminar:
10:45–17:45 (Six sessions with 40 participants each)
- Venue:
Sunshine City, Higashi-Ikebukuro 3-1, Toshima-ku, Tokyo- Public Tasting Event: Culture Hall Building 3F, Exhibition Hall C
- Seminar: World Import Mart Building 5F, Conference Room
About Tsunan Sake Brewery
Tsunan Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. is a sake brewery located in Tsunan Town, Niigata Prefecture—one of Japan’s heaviest snowfall regions. The brewery uses pristine spring water flowing from 2,000-meter-class mountains and brews sake with local rice varieties such as “Gohyakumangoku” and “Uonuma Koshihikari.” Our brewing style reflects a balance of harmony with nature and continuous innovation, under the brand concept “Brew for Future—Brewing a Coexistent Future.” In 2025, our sake received the Governor of Niigata Award (1st Place) at the Echigo-ryu Sake Brewing Technology Championship.
https://tsunan-sake.com/
