Hello everyone, this is Chisato Tateno, 2025 Miss SAKE Japan.
On October 18 (Sat) and 19 (Sun), I had the honor of participating in the 20th Echigo-Kenshin SAKE Festival, held along the Takada Honcho Shopping Street in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture. Throughout the two days, I joined Michika Kojima, 2025 Miss SAKE Niigata, and Nina Marie Otsubo, 2025 Miss SAKE Niigata Runner-up, in bringing energy and smiles to the lively venue.
About the “Echigo-Kenshin SAKE Festival”
Held annually in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, the Echigo-Kenshin SAKE Festival is a grand celebration of Japanese sake and other beverages, featuring sake brewed by Niigata’s renowned breweries as well as wine, craft beer, and more. Marking its 20th anniversary, this year’s event attracted more than 40,000 visitors over two days—surpassing last year’s attendance—and the streets were filled with excitement from morning to evening.
Joetsu City, known as the home of the legendary samurai lord Uesugi Kenshin, hosts this festival named in his honor. Visitors can fully enjoy the region’s proud traditions, distinctive local sake, and vibrant food culture. This year featured 30 tasting booths and 58 gourmet and retail booths. The Takada Honcho Shopping Street was turned into a pedestrian zone, and participants strolled through the festival, tasting a variety of signature brews with their original ochoko (sake cups) in hand.
To commemorate the 20th anniversary, three special limited-edition sakes were served:
“Kurumagakari” by Joetsu Shuzo Co., Ltd., known for its crisp and savory flavor, and the blended brews “Sougakari Gi” and “Sougakari Ryu”, created from local sakes of the Joetsu-Myoko area. Only 1,000 bottles of each were available, attracting long lines of eager visitors.
Events Details
Dates: October 18 (Sat) – October 19 (Sun), 2025
Hours:
・October 18 (Sat) 11:00–19:00
・October 19 (Sun) 10:00–16:00
Location: Takada Honcho Shopping Street, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture
Admission: Free (Tasting: 3,000 yen per day / 4,000 yen for both days)
Official Website: https://www.kenshinsake.com/
A Milestone Celebration Beneath a Clear Blue Sky
On the first day of the festival, October 18 (Sat), I attended the Opening Toast Ceremony, which marked the beginning of the event. The ceremony featured welcoming speeches from Mr. Kanta Nakagawa, Mayor of Joetsu City, and other distinguished guests who play key roles in the region’s administration and economy.
It was highlighted that this year’s festival marked both the 20th anniversary of the Echigo-Kenshin SAKE Festival and the 20th anniversary of Joetsu City’s municipal merger, making it a truly symbolic year. Although the event is often held under rainy skies, this year’s opening ceremony was blessed with clear weather and a bright, festive atmosphere as the traditional kagami-biraki (sake barrel opening) was performed.
Many visitors stopped to watch the ceremony, cheering and applauding as the sake barrels were opened. The sound of the mallets striking the wood, the spray of sake, and the joyful expressions of the crowd created a truly unforgettable moment.
A Gathering of Niigata’s Finest Breweries
Niigata Prefecture is one of Japan’s leading sake-producing regions, boasting both the largest number of breweries and highest sake consumption in the country. Its exceptionally soft water and cool climate have long fostered the production of elegant, crisp “tanrei karakuchi” sakes beloved nationwide.
This year, numerous breweries from Joetsu City, Myoko City, and across Niigata Prefecture participated, along with guest breweries from Nagano and Fukushima Prefectures. Additionally, booths by the Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Taxation Bureau (commemorating the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage registration of Traditional Japanese Sake Brewing) and JA Hyogo Rokko (introducing Sanda rice and sake) offered visitors hands-on opportunities to learn about sake brewing and rice cultivation.
As Miss SAKE representatives, we walked through the venue, engaging with visitors, taking photos, and enjoying countless exquisite brews together. Many attendees had traveled from distant regions or even overseas, and a remarkable number of them mentioned visiting the festival every year without fail. Their deep affection for Japanese sake was truly moving.
Participating breweries and their representative labels are as follows;
Musashino Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Ski Masamune
Tanaka Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Notaka
Myoko Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Myoko-san
Kiminoi Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Myoko City, Niigata) – Kiminoi
Chiyonohikari Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Myoko City, Niigata) – Chiyonohikari
Ayumasamune Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Myoko City, Niigata) – Ayumasamune
Maruyama Shuzojo Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Setchubai
Takeda Shuzo-ten Partnership (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Katafune
Koyama Shuzo-ten Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Kamoshika
Kubiki Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Koshiji no Koubai
Yoyogiku Jozo Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Chibitagawa
Kato Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Echigoya
Joetsu Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Echigo Bijin
Niigata Daiichi Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Koshi no Hakucho
Yoshikawa Toji no Sato Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Yoshikawa Toji
Iwanohara Vineyard Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Iwanohara Wine
Miyatou Wild Herb Research Institute Co., Ltd. (Myoko City, Niigata) – Yaso-shu Kogen no Izumi
Echigo Yakuso Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – THE HERBALIST YASO
Omiya Shoten Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Otama Brewing
Live Sic Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata) – Gangi Brewing
Craft Beer Brewery Terra (Joetsu City, Niigata)Guest Breweries:
Tenryohai Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Sado City, Niigata) – Tenryohai
Obata Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Sado City, Niigata) – Manotsuru
Hokusetsu Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Sado City, Niigata) – Hokusetsu
Tahara Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Itoigawa City, Niigata) – Yukitsuru
Inomata Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Itoigawa City, Niigata) – Tsukimizu no Ike
Takanoi Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Ojiya City, Niigata) – Denyuu
Yahiko Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Nishikambara District, Niigata) – Yahiko
Miyasaka Brewing Co., Ltd. (Suwa City, Nagano) – Masumi
Ariga Jozo Partnership (Shirakawa City, Fukushima) – Jinya / Kisuisauma
Through the 20th Echigo-Kenshin SAKE Festival, I was once again reminded of the power of Japanese sake to connect people, transcend generations and borders, and bring smiles to all. The harmonious combination of Echigo’s abundant nature, the dedication of the brewers, and the warm hospitality of the local community created an atmosphere filled with what we call “Shuen” (the bonds formed through sake).
This, I believe, is the true essence that sustains Japan’s sake culture—something to be cherished and passed on to future generations. As Miss SAKE, I am more committed than ever to sharing the stories, spirit, and artistry of regional breweries with people around the world, conveying the heartfelt “spirit of Japan” that lives within every cup of sake. I will continue my mission to discover and promote the timeless beauty of Japanese sake culture together with everyone I meet along the way.
Chisato Tateno
2025 Miss SAKE Japan
