Sanaburi Distillery, in its second year, wins gold at an international competition in Tokyo

Akita Prefecture lies in the north of Honshu, on the Sea of Japan coast. In 2025, Sanaburi Distillery opened in the port town of Funakawa on the Oga Peninsula, which juts out into that sea. “Sanaburi” is an old Japanese word for the celebration held once rice planting is finished. Barely any time after opening, the distillery has won its first major recognition at an international competition.

Both “01” and “02” win gold

At the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2026 (TWSC 2026), two Sanaburi Distillery spirits, “01” and “02”, both won gold medals. At TWSC, the Best in Class award ranks highest, and gold is the next level of recognition below it. The distillery says this is a big step for a newly opened distillery. The local newspaper report did not give detailed explanations of the ingredients or production methods of the two spirits. Even so, winning recognition with its very first releases is an important event for anyone watching the distillery’s future.

TWSC: one of Asia’s largest competitions

TWSC began in 2019 with the aim of presenting high-quality whiskies and spirits from around the world and supporting their development. The chair of the organising committee is Mamoru Tsuchiya, a whisky critic known worldwide (president of the Whisky Culture Institute). Entries so far have exceeded 6,000 products, and it is regarded as one of the largest spirits competitions in Asia. For a new distillery, winning an award here is a chance to make its name known to buyers and enthusiasts in Japan and abroad.

Oga, where new makers are gathering

In recent years, Oga has seen a steady stream of new approaches to alcohol making. In 2022, the Craft Sake Brewery Association was formed, centred on the city’s Inaa and Agave brewery. Craft sake is a rice-based drink made using sake-brewing techniques but going beyond the legal definition of “sake”, for example by adding secondary ingredients. Because no new sake-brewing licences are being issued in Japan, new categories like this have emerged. Sanaburi Distillery’s award shows that new makers are emerging from this small port town not only in brewed drinks but in spirits too.

For European readers, the TWSC winners’ list can be a guide to discovering new Japanese distilleries that are not yet well known. Newly opened distilleries often have small production volumes, so finding an early release is one way to follow a maker’s growth. If you try one, you could first taste a small amount neat, then add a few drops of water and compare how the aroma changes.