Bishu Concours 2026: The First Sake Competition Led By Female Judges in Japan
Updated: 6 days ago
The world of sake is constantly evolving with the times— and the weather. Before the upcoming brewing season commences in October, let's take a trip to Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture for the first sake competition led by female judges in Japan.
Earlier on September 6, our in-house sommelier and senior sales manager Maria Luisa Satoh participated as a judge at Japan Women's Sake Awards, also known as Bishu Concours 2026.
Bishu Concours is the first sake competition in Japan to feature an all-female judging panel, with its inaugural edition first held in 2023. All judges must possess professional alcohol-related qualifications and accolades, before they are invited to participate.
The competition is also known for their award categories based on flavour profiles, rather than sake grades. This is because Bishu Concours understand that specific designations are unfamiliar to the average consumer, and alcoholic beverages with the same designation do not necessarily have similar flavour characteristics.
This year, the competition saw a total of 312 entries from 112 breweries, and a total of 183 judges from Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, United States, Australia and Switzerland.
Learn more about Bishu Concours and how to participate in the next edition here.
