Hello everyone,
My name is Chisato Tateno, 2025 Miss SAKE Japan.
On May 23–24, I had the honor of participating in Seoul SAKE Festival 2026, held at SETEC in Seoul, South Korea, together with Risa Shimamiya, 2025 Miss SAKE Akita. We were also joined by Ms. Mika Onishi, Representative Director of the Miss SAKE Association.
About Seoul SAKE Festival
Seoul SAKE Festival is recognized as one of Asia’s largest Japanese sake events and has been held annually since 2016. The festival showcases a wide variety of Japanese alcoholic beverages, including sake, authentic shochu, awamori, whisky, and beer, offering visitors an opportunity to experience the diverse flavors of SAKE culture from regions across Japan. This year, more than 180 breweries and distilleries gathered at the venue, attracting over 6,000 visitors during the two-day event. The festival was organized by the Korea Association of Japanese Sake Importers, a consortium of seven leading import companies in South Korea: Nihonshu Korea, Nihon Sake, Jizake CY Korea, Ichiro, CR Trading, Sakaya Korea, and Kumagai Liquor. The venue was filled with enthusiastic visitors, particularly among younger generations in their 20s and 30s. Throughout the festival, I was able to feel firsthand the growing interest in SAKE within Korea and the strengthening friendship between Japan and Korea through cultural exchange.
(Photo by Sung il Kim)
A Festive Opening with Kagami-Biraki
We began by welcoming visitors as they arrived at the venue. Many guests stopped to speak with us, and while taking commemorative photos together, we exchanged greetings in both Japanese and Korean. These interactions reminded me once again of the cultural closeness between Japan and Korea, as well as the warmth and kindness of the Korean people.
Following this, we attended the opening ceremony, which was hosted by Ms. Junko Kondo, an announcer holding multiple certifications including Kikizakeshi (Sake Sommelier) and Sake Expert. The ceremony opened with remarks from Mr. Kim Jae-wook, President of CR Trading and Chairperson of the Korea Association of Japanese Sake Importers for this year. This was followed by congratulatory remarks from Mr. Hirotaka Matsuo, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Korea.As Japan and Korea celebrated the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations last year and now welcome approximately 13 million mutual visits annually, speakers expressed their hopes that SAKE culture would further strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
I was also deeply honored to have the opportunity to deliver greetings in Korean on behalf of Miss SAKE. During my speech, I introduced the activities of Miss SAKE and shared my gratitude and excitement for being able to connect directly with so many people through the culture of SAKE, which serves as a bridge between Japan and Korea. Afterward, together with representatives of the seven importing companies and Mr. Matsuo, we participated in the traditional Kagami-Biraki ceremony on stage. As the audience joined in the spirited chant of “Yoisho!”, the ceremonial sake barrels were opened, and the entire venue was filled with a celebratory atmosphere, marking a vibrant beginning to the festival.
(Photo by Sung il Kim)
Experiencing Korea’s Growing Interest in SAKE
After the opening ceremony, I visited booths throughout the venue and greeted representatives from breweries across Japan. From Hokkaido to Kyushu, breweries from every corner of the country gathered in one place, allowing visitors to hear directly from producers about their brewing philosophies and recommended products. Through these conversations, I was once again reminded of the unique value of this festival, where people can enjoy a wide range of sake while learning about the passion and craftsmanship behind each bottle.
Although my time was limited, I was also given opportunities to assist at brewery booths and serve sake to visitors. Many attendees were already familiar with the classifications of premium sake and even asked detailed questions about sake rice varieties and yeast strains. I was also impressed to see visitors enthusiastically comparing different labels to discover their favorites and purchasing multiple bottles to take home. These experiences demonstrated not only the growing popularity of sake in Korea but also the remarkable level of knowledge and appreciation among consumers. I also learned that in recent years, sake has increasingly appeared not only in Japanese restaurants but also in Korean restaurants. Seeing so many young people enjoying sake in their own ways was inspiring and made me very happy as someone who deeply loves sake culture.
Sharing Regional Charm as Miss SAKE
In the afternoon, we hosted a stage event entitled “Guess the Brewery’s Region with Miss SAKE.”
Participants were shown photographs of representative sake brands and challenged to identify their region of origin using three clues related to local specialties, landmarks, and culture. The audience responded with tremendous enthusiasm. From the moment each sake label appeared on screen, hands shot up across the venue. Some participants waved enthusiastically or humorously tried to attract attention while waiting to be called upon, demonstrating both their passion and impressive knowledge of sake.Winners received brewery-exclusive gifts, and the atmosphere grew increasingly lively with each question.
One particularly memorable moment for me was when “Michizakura,” a sake associated with my home region of Hokkaido, appeared in the quiz. As clues such as snow, seafood rice bowls, and lavender were revealed, more and more hands went up until nearly everyone in the audience was eager to answer. Witnessing this strong recognition of Hokkaido among Korean visitors filled me with gratitude and pride as someone who deeply loves my hometown.
(Photo by Sung il Kim)
Female Master Brewers and Their Passion for Craftsmanship
On the second day of the festival, a special talk session featured three distinguished women leaders in the industry: Ms. Miho Imada, President of Imada Shuzo Honten; Ms. Rieko Hayashi, President of Hayashi Honten; and Ms. Akiko Furuya, President of Kirishima Town Distillery. The session was moderated by Ms. Yuki Tachibana, known for the Korean sake-focused YouTube channel “Yuki’s Day (유키의 하루)” and her credentials as a Sakasho professional.
Historically, the brewing industry was once considered a male-dominated field, but these women are helping shape a new era. I was deeply inspired by their perspectives and experiences. What impressed me most was their dedication to brewing—not as female brewers, but as dedicated artisans committed to their craft. While embracing qualities often associated with women, such as sensitivity and attention to detail, they emphasized the importance of focusing on excellence rather than gender.
At the conclusion of the session, I had the opportunity to ask about the pairing potential between Japanese sake and Korean cuisine. The speakers shared fascinating insights into how the acidity, umami, and sweetness of sake can complement spicy dishes such as kimchi and jjigae. Their recommendations, accompanied by examples from their own breweries, were incredibly enticing. Personally, I was especially impressed by ganjang gejang (raw crab marinated in soy sauce), which I tried for the first time during my stay. I felt that the rich seafood umami, sesame oil notes, and spicy seasonings commonly found in Korean cuisine pair exceptionally well with the umami and crisp finish of sake. This experience strengthened my hope that sake will continue to become a natural part of Korean dining culture and be enjoyed as an everyday beverage by even more people in the future.
参加酒蔵一覧（一部抜粋）
Through Seoul SAKE Festival 2026, I once again realized the remarkable level of interest in sake throughout Korea and how deeply sake culture is taking root within Korean society. What left the strongest impression on me was the depth of knowledge among visitors and the thoughtful ways in which they enjoyed sake according to their own preferences and values. Sake is far more than simply an alcoholic beverage. It serves as a bridge connecting people, regions, cultures, and the passion of those who create it.
As Miss SAKE, I will continue sharing not only the appeal of sake itself but also the history, traditions, regional identities, and spirit of Japan that exist behind every bottle. I also hope to contribute to further cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and Korea through the universal language of SAKE.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Ken Kumagai, President of Kumagai Liquor, the Korea Association of Japanese Sake Importers and all related organizers, the many visitors who attended the festival, the breweries that warmly welcomed us, and the interpreters who supported our activities throughout the two days.
I will continue cherishing each encounter and connection while striving to contribute, however modestly, to friendship and mutual understanding between Japan, Korea, and the wider world through SAKE culture.
Chisato Tateno
2025 Miss SAKE Japan
