Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau Introduces a New 'Grand Excellence Award' at Its Sake Appraisal This Year

In Japan, the regional taxation bureaus of the National Tax Agency, the national body responsible for liquor tax, judge the quality of the sake made in their own areas every year. According to SAKE Street, such appraisal competitions are held in the areas covered by 11 regional taxation bureaus, from Sapporo to Kumamoto. The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau’s competition is one of them. For the judging on 10 September 2026, 95 entries of sake and shochu were submitted by 32 breweries and distilleries in the four prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Yamanashi.

What is the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau’s Appraisal?

The aims of this competition are to make the region’s sake more widely known and to raise the skill and motivation of its producers. There are five categories. Four are for sake: Ginjo, Junmai Ginjo, and two categories for sake intended to be drunk warm, Kan-zake and Junmai Kan-zake. The remaining category is Honkaku Shochu, a distilled spirit. Ginjo is a grade of premium, aromatic sake made from highly polished rice and fermented slowly at low temperatures. ‘Junmai’ indicates sake made only from rice, rice koji and water, with no added brewer’s alcohol. The panel of about 10 judges assesses aroma, taste and the balance between the two.

Adapting to the Intense Heat: A Year of ‘Satisfying Body’

Yamawaki (山脇幹善), head of the Appraisal Office (Kanteikan-shitsu), which is responsible for assessing sake quality at the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau, points to a change in this year’s sake. According to Yamawaki, summers have been severely hot for the past few years, and many sakes have tended to be crisp and light. This year, however, as producers have grown used to the climate and improved their techniques, the sakes have more depth of flavour and a more satisfying body. In the judging, the policy is to distinguish accurately even the slightest differences, such as the balance between aroma and taste. It is a remark from the judging floor that suggests changes in the climate are showing up in the taste of sake, and that breweries are adapting to them.

The New Grand Excellence Award, and Enjoying Sake in Europe

A new ‘Grand Excellence Award’ (Saiyuto-sho) has been created this year. The results will be announced at the award ceremony on 28 October. There are cases where a top prize at a regional competition has greatly changed a brewery’s reputation. According to SAKE Street, Okazaki Shuzo in Nagano Prefecture (brand: Shinshu Kamerei) won the top prize in the Ginjo category at the 2015 Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Taxation Bureau competition. The brand has since grown into a popular one within the prefecture.

The regional taxation bureau competitions are less well known in Europe than international competitions. Even so, they are one of the reliable assessments in which Japanese experts compare sake region by region, with an emphasis on technical quality. Once the results are out on 28 October, make a note of the award-winning breweries and look for them at import shops or online. To test the verdict that this year’s sake has a satisfying body for yourself, try comparing a chilled Ginjo with a flavourful Junmai sake warmed to around 40 degrees. You may notice the difference in the balance of aroma and taste.