November, 2024
Hiroshima Regional Taxation Bureau

1. Overview

The Hiroshima Regional Taxation Bureau held a regional sake awards competition with the aim of promoting and advancing the sake brewing techniques of sake brewers in the Chugoku Region's five prefectures (i.e., Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi). Of the 188 entries submitted, prizes were presented to 69 outstanding sakes at an awards ceremony. The prize-winners are as shown in the Appendix 1.“Chugoku Sake Awards 2024 List of Prize Winners (Breweries)”(PDF/159KB). These winning sakes were selected in particular for their wonderful well-balanced flavor recognizing the high technical brewing skills required.
 Details of the Sake Awards are provided below.

2. Purpose for Holding the Competition

The Chugoku Sake Awards aim to promote the development and advancement of sake brewing techniques as well as enhance the quality of sakes in the Chugoku region, thereby contributing to the sound development of the liquor industry, by evaluating the quality of sake produced within the region and based on these results rewarding brewers recognized as having outstanding brewing skills.

3. Judging Categories

Judging was carried out in three categories: “Ginjo-shu”, “Jummai-shu”, and “Kanzake (warmed sake)”.
 Entries in each of these categories were as follows.

1. (1) “Ginjo-shu”
    Unprocessed sake produced as ginjo-shu at the brewery in the 2023 brewing year (July 1, 2023- June 30, 2024).
2. (2) “Jummai-shu”
    Chozo-shu sake produced as jummai-shu at the brewery that is for sale on the market or scheduled to be released onto the market. The alcohol content of Chozo-shu sake is adjusted with water according to the standards of the market in which it is to be sold.
3. (3) “Kanzake”
    Chozo-shu sake produced at the brewery that is for sale on the market or scheduled to be released onto the market. The alcohol content of Chozo-shu sake is adjusted with water according to the standards of the market in which it is to be sold.

4. Number of Entries

Brewers could enter one sake in each of the above three categories. However, only in the “Ginjo-shu” category, brewers with multiple breweries could enter one sake product from each of their breweries. In 2024, there were 62 entries in the “Ginjo-shu” category, 66 entries in the “Jummai-shu” category, and 60 entries in the “Kanzake ” category for a total of 188 sakes entered by 72 brewers overall.

5. Judging of Quality

Sake quality was judged by means of sensory evaluation (that is, “sake-tasting”) by specialists.

1. (1) Schedule
    Preliminary Round: September 25 (Wednesday) and 26 (Thursday), 2024
   Final Round: October 2 (Wednesday), 2024
2. (2) Venue
   Hiroshima Regional Taxation Bureau Appraisement and Testing Laboratory
3. (3) Judges
    Judging was performed by judges with a detailed knowledge of sake brewing and excellent sensory evaluation abilities, including staff from the public testing and research institute in each prefecture in the Chugoku region, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, National Research Institute of Brewing, and sake producers and retailers, as well as officers from the Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology, Hiroshima Taxation Bureau.
4. (4) Methods of Judging Quality
     The quality of the entries was judged by means of sensory evaluation (sake-tasting). Judges evaluated the entries based on the composite elements of aroma, taste and the balance of these. For the sensory evaluations, the sakes were judged at 20 ℃ for the “Ginjo-shu” and “Jummai-shu” categories and at approx. 45℃ for the “Kanzake” category.

6. Judging Results

Prizes were awarded to a total of 69 sakes with high scores for quality in each of the three categories: 24 in the “Ginjo-shu”category, 24 in the “Jummai-shu”category, and 21 in the “Kanzake ”category.
　For winning entries, please refer to Appendix 1.“Chugoku Sake Awards 2024 List of Prize Winners (Breweries)”(PDF/159KB); for a breakdown of entries from each prefecture, please refer to Appendix 2.“Chugoku Sake Awards 2024 Table of Entries and Award Status”(PDF/79KB).

7. Awards Ceremony

1. (1) Date and Time
    November 12, 2024 (Tuesday); 13:30-14:30
2. (2) Venue
    Main Conference Hall, 2F, Hiroshima National Government Building No. 1 Annex
3. (3) Participants
    Award-winning sake brewers, etc.
4. (4) Content
    Presentation of awards, comments on awards judging, etc.

8. Brewing Techniques Workshop

1. (1) Date and Time
    November 12, 2024 (Tuesday); 14:00〜16:00
2. (2) Venue
    No. 20・21・22 Conference Room, 5F, Hiroshima National Government Building No. 4