A Premium Sparkling Sake, 'Shinsei', Pours on a Busan Film Festival Night
Sake brand SAKE HUNDRED served its sparkling sake 'Shinsei' at a networking event held during the Busan International Film Festival.
The sake brand SAKE HUNDRED served its sparkling sake ‘Shinsei’ at “JAPANESE NIGHT in Busan 2026”, an international cultural exchange event held in Busan, South Korea, on 9 October 2026. The event was timed to coincide with the 31st Busan International Film Festival, one of the largest film festivals in Asia. SAKE HUNDRED is a premium sake brand run by Clear Inc. of Shibuya, Tokyo (Representative Director and CEO: Ryuji Ikoma). Serving sake at an international social gathering of the film industry is one way of introducing high-end sake to audiences abroad.
Over 300 film professionals gather for “JAPANESE NIGHT”
“JAPANESE NIGHT” is an international cultural exchange event founded by the actor and producer MEGUMI. Its aim is to introduce Japanese film and culture to the world through its creators, works and initiatives, and to promote international exchange across industries, film above all. It was first held in Cannes, France, in 2024, and this was its first edition in Busan. The venue was the Grand Ballroom of Paradise Hotel Busan, and more than 300 people attended, including actors and directors from Japan and abroad, film professionals from various countries and members of the media. There were presentations of international co-production projects and works by next-generation creators, and in the second half guests mingled over food to the sound of a DJ.
A sparkling sake designed to be enjoyed with food: ‘Shinsei’
‘Shinsei’ is a sparkling sake brewed by Yamanashi Meijo, a brewery in Yamanashi Prefecture (the prefecture immediately west of Tokyo). The brand highlights its rich flavour beneath a clear impression, its quiet, fine bubbles and its long, elegant finish. It is positioned as a food-pairing sake, to be enjoyed alongside a meal. In Japan it costs 35,200 yen for a 720 ml bottle (tax included, shipping not included), which places it in the premium price range even among sake. MEGUMI commented that SAKE HUNDRED’s sake not only conveys the appeal of Japanese food culture but also creates time that connects people across differences of country and culture.
Using a cultural event as a gateway to overseas audiences
SAKE HUNDRED puts effort into collaborations with other cultural fields, such as art, music and film. Having industry figures from around the world taste its sake at a gathering like a film festival is a way of spreading the image of premium sake, distinct from sales in shops.
What European readers may want to note is that sake, too, offers a premium sparkling option to enjoy with a meal, much like Champagne. If you come across a sparkling sake, serve it well chilled in a flute or a white wine glass and look for the fineness of the bubbles and the length of the finish. Pairing it with starters or seafood dishes shows its character as a food-friendly sake most clearly.
Sources
This article was written by The Sake Wire editorial team, summarising the public sources listed above. Images are our own.
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