Hello everyone, this is Chisato Tateno, 2025 Miss SAKE Japan.
On Sunday, November 23, I had the honor of participating in the Hōshuku Niinamesai – 5th Shinon Kansha Mie New Sake Festival held at Okage Yokocho, located in front of Ise Grand Shrine’s Inner Shrine (Naikū) in Ise City, Mie Prefecture. I attended the event together with the following six members of Miss SAKE 2025. Throughout the day, we toured the venue, interacted with visitors, and served freshly released shinshu—each brewery’s pride—alongside the brewers themselves.
2025 Miss SAKE Japan – Chisato Tateno
2025 Miss SAKE Runner-up – Kana Hazuma
2025 Miss SAKE Nagano – Misaki Uchida
2025 Miss SAKE Aomori – Yui Kudo
2025 Miss SAKE Hyogo – Nagisa Hashimoto
2025 Miss SAKE Nara – Aya Yasui
About the Hōshuku Niinamesai – 5th Shinon Kansha Mie New Sake Festival
The Hōshuku Niinamesai – Shinon Kansha Mie New Sake Festival is a special annual celebration held every year at Ise Grand Shrine and Okage Yokocho. The festival expresses gratitude for the year’s harvest and offers prayers for abundance in the coming year, while breweries present and dedicate their freshly brewed “new sake (shinshu)” for the season.
This year, 25 breweries from Mie Prefecture and an additional 52 breweries from across Japan took part, bringing together an incredibly diverse range of Japanese sake. Visitors enjoyed sampling and comparing various freshly brewed seasonal offerings. Traditional performing arts rooted in the region—such as Shinon Taiko drumming and Shishi Kagura (lion dances)—were also showcased, filling the venue with a warm sense of unity through prayers for an abundant harvest. As dusk fell, lanterns along the streets lit up, and families and tourists enjoyed the enchanting ambience of the autumn evening.
Event Details
Date & Time: Sunday, November 23, Reiwa 7 / 3:00 PM–6:00 PM
Venue: Okage Yokocho
Admission:
Enjoyment Ticket: Advance ¥4,000 (¥5,000 on the day)
※Book of 10 tickets, redeemable for 1 cup of sake or ¥500 worth of food or takeout per ticket
Tasting Pass: Advance ¥6,500 (¥7,500 on the day)
※Unlimited tasting at the sampling booth for three hours (3:00 PM–6:00 PM)
Organizer: Shinon Kansha Mie no Sake Matsuri Executive Committee
Cooperation: Sakeno Mise Morishita Co., Ltd.
Participating Breweries are as follows;
Participating Breweries
[Within Mie Prefecture]
Hayakawa Shuzo (Komono), Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten (Suzuka), Ota Shuzo (Iga), Moriki Shuzo (Iga), Kiyashow Shuzo (Nabari), Motosaka Shuzo (Odai), Goto Shuzojyo (Kuwana), Takahashi Shuzo (Yokkaichi), Kankobai Shuzo (Tsu), Nakai Jinbei Shuzojyo (Iga), Takijiman Shuzo (Nabari), Kawabu Brewing (Taki), Imuraya (Taki), Kagura Shuzo (Yokkaichi), Ito Shuzo (Yokkaichi), Hayakawa Shuzobu (Kawagoe), Maruhiko Shuzo (Yokkaichi), Hosokawa Shuzo (Kuwana), Ishikawa Shuzo (Yokkaichi), Adachi Honke Shuzo (Asahi), Miyazaki Honten (Yokkaichi), Nira Shuzo (Matsusaka), Nakayama Shuzo (Matsusaka), Wakaebisu Shuzo (Iga), Iseman Naiku-mae Brewery (Ise)
[Outside Mie Prefecture]
Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo (Hokkaido), Hachinohe Shuzo (Aomori), Nanbu Bijin (Iwate), Akabu Shuzo (Iwate), Shiwa Shuzoten (Iwate), Hirataka Shuzo (Miyagi), Niizawa Jozoten (Miyagi), Fukurokuju Shuzo (Akita), Aramasa Shuzo (Akita), Yamamoto Shuzoten (Akita), Mitobe Shuzo (Yamagata), Sakata Shuzo (Yamagata), Miyaizumi Meijo (Fukushima), Hiroki Shuzo Honten (Fukushima), Hanaizumi Shuzo (Fukushima), Okidaikichi Honten (Fukushima), Sasa Masamune Shuzo (Fukushima), Matsuzaki Shuzo (Fukushima), Niida Honke (Fukushima), Toyokuni Shuzo (Fukushima), Kamoshiki Shuzo (Niigata), Takachiyo Shuzo (Niigata), Kobayashi Shuzo (Tochigi), Kiku-no-Sato Shuzo (Tochigi), Senkin (Tochigi), Machida Shuzoten (Gunma), Matsuya Shuzo (Gunma), Kokuryu Shuzo (Fukui), Sasaichi Shuzo (Yamanashi), Yamasan Shuzo (Nagano), Banjō Jozō (Aichi), Maruishi Jozo (Aichi), Heiwa Shuzo (Wakayama), Imanishi Shuzo (Nara), Yucho Shuzo (Nara), Tsujihonten (Okayama), Aihara Shuzo (Hiroshima), Omine Shuzo (Yamaguchi), Nagayama Honke Shuzojo (Yamaguchi), Yaoshin Shuzo (Yamaguchi), Choshu Shuzo (Yamaguchi), Dassai – Asahi Shuzo (Yamaguchi), Sumikawa Shuzojo (Yamaguchi), Mutemuka (Kochi), Fumimoto Shuzo (Kochi), Shiraito Shuzo (Fukuoka), Omoya Shuzo (Nagasaki), Nakano Shuzo (Oita), Kuroki Honten (Miyazaki), Sato Shuzo (Kagoshima), Komaki Distillery (Kagoshima), Oyama Jinshichi Shoten (Kagoshima)
As Miss SAKE, as Ambassadors of Japanese Sake
At the start of the event, we were given a valuable opportunity to introduce the mission and activities of Miss SAKE to all attendees, followed by individual greetings from each member. Seeing everyone listen attentively and welcome us with warm applause truly moved my heart.
During the subsequent commemorative photo session, long lines quickly formed, and meeting so many people face-to-face—with shared smiles and heartfelt conversations—made me feel deeply grateful for how warmly the local community embraces Miss SAKE.
In 2026, the Miss SAKE Mie Competition is going to be held. We were able to share this announcement with attendees and also personally greet Mr. Takuma Morishita, President of Sakeno Mise Morishita and organizer of the new competition. It was a meaningful moment to exchange hopes and expectations for what lies ahead.
New Sake Connecting Japan’s Four Seasons and the Spirit of Its Brewers
Afterwards, we joined the brewery booths, where we served shinshu together with the brewers while interacting with visitors. Sake enthusiasts from both Japan and overseas gathered to enjoy everything from chilled, refreshing new sake with clear, fresh aromas to warm sake that expressed the full richness of rice—each embodying the unique character of the season. Many guests from Korea and across Asia were particularly noticeable, and several mentioned that they had traveled to Japan specifically for this event. It was a powerful reminder of how Japanese sake is loved across borders.
Standing side by side with the brewers who devote themselves to sake-making—hearing directly about the traditions they preserve and the passion they pour into their craft—allowed me to reconnect with the very essence of being Miss SAKE. Being able to personally serve each brewery’s representative shinshu to guests was a profound joy. It was a moment that reaffirmed the depth of Japanese sake culture, the importance of passing down regional craftsmanship, and our mission to share this beauty with the next generation and the world.
Listening to the Voices of the Brewers
After the event concluded, we joined the brewers for a convivial gathering. At the beginning, each Miss SAKE member was given the chance to introduce herself and reflect on the day. Surrounded by the warm and welcoming atmosphere created by the brewers, we expressed our gratitude and shared our aspirations for the future as Miss SAKE.
As conversations unfolded, we received freshly brewed sake directly from the very people who crafted it, hearing the unique stories held within each cup. Even within the friendly and relaxed atmosphere, there were moments when we could sense the sincerity, dedication, and professionalism with which they approach sake-making. Their words left a deep impression on me.
Through these conversations, I strongly felt that the role of Miss SAKE is not only to convey the charm of Japanese sake, but also to share the history, regional culture, and heartfelt passion carried on by the brewers—their living voices.
Through the Hōshuku Niinamesai – 5th Shinon Kansha Mie New Sake Festival, I once again felt the profound charm of Japanese sake, the devotion and skill of the brewers behind it, and its deep connection with local culture. Engaging with the brewers allowed me to experience the individuality and philosophy of each brewery—insights that cannot be gained through tasting alone—and strengthened my sense of responsibility and mission to share sake as a cultural expression.
As Miss SAKE, I will continue striving to serve as a bridge connecting the future of Japanese sake culture.
I extend my sincere gratitude for the invaluable opportunity to participate in this year’s Hōshuku Niinamesai – Shinon Kansha Mie New Sake Festival.
Chisato Tateno
2025 Miss SAKE Japan
