April 2026
Sapporo Regional Taxation Bureau

• 1. Overview
• 2. List of Gold Prize Winners
• 3. Quality of Sake Entries
• Reference
  • 1. Purpose
  • 2. Dates and Venues
  • 3. Entry Categories
  • 4. Quality Examinations
  • 5. Presentation of Award Certificates
  • 6. Tasting Event for Sake Manufacturers
• Attachment 1
• Attachment 2
• Attachment 3

1. Overview

* Please refer to the Notice of Hokkaido Sake Awards 2025 (Excerpt) for details of the event.

• *1 Entry status of the previous brewing year is shown in parentheses.
• *2 Up to four entries per brewery allowed for Dosanmai ginjo-shu, Ginjo-shu, Junmai-shu categories. Up to two entries per brewery allowed for Keiseimai gokumi-shu category.

2. List of Gold Prize Winners

The following manufacturers won Gold Prizes (Tax Office order).

* JCN:Japan Corporate Number

3. Quality of Sake Entries

This year, securing sake-brewing rice proved difficult due to a decrease in production caused by a shift to table rice, although Hokkaido-grown rice, as in the previous year, was of high quality thanks to the great efforts of rice farmers.
 Because the rice was somewhat harder than usual and its nutrients were more difficult to dissolve into sake fermentation mash, the sake produced this year tends to have a clearer flavor.
 As for the climate, it was a relatively warm winter, but the temperature difference was extreme, and some regions experienced heavy snowfalls, making it a challenging year.
 Amid these conditions, the entries to Hokkaido Sake Awards 2025 were of excellent quality. The great sake-making techniques of each brewery, such as appropriate rice processing, koji-making, and fermentation control depending on the character of the rice and the brewing yeast, were fully expressed in the sake.

(1) Dosanmai ginjo-shu

Most entries were Ginjo-shu and Junmai-ginjo-shu made from sake-brewing rice varieties developed in Hokkaido such as Gimpu, Suisei, and Kitashizuku. Some entries were made from Yamadanishiki cultivated in Hokkaido.

(2) Ginjo-shu

Most entries were Ginjo-shu and Junmai-ginjo-shu made from Yamadanishiki cultivated in Hyogo prefecture, which is major production region of sake-brewing rice.

(3) Junmai-shu

Most entries were Junmai-shu made from Gimpu, Suisei, or Kitashizuku cultivated in Hokkaido.

(4) Keiseimai gokumi-shu

The characteristics of the entries for this category were “rich, full-bodied taste” derived from gently polished rice.
 Most entries were made from rice cultivated in Hokkaido, and fully expressed the characteristics and techniques of each sake-brewery.

Notice of Hokkaido Sake Awards 2025 (Excerpt)

1. Purpose

The purpose of Hokkaido Sake Awards is to promote progress and improvement of sake-making techniques of sake breweries and consequently contribute to the development of the alcoholic beverage industry through evaluating the quality of sake produced during the brewing year 2025, commending sake-breweries with outstanding sake-making techniques, and holding a tasting event for sake manufacturers.

2. Dates and Venues

(1) Quality Examinations
Date: March 12, 2026 (Thu.) ~ March 13, 2026 (Fri.)
Venue: Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology, Sapporo 2nd Common Government Office Building

(2) Award Ceremony and Tasting Event for Sake Manufacturers
Date: April 14, 2026 (Tue.)
Venue: Auditorium, Sapporo 2nd Common Government Office Building

3. Entry Categories

There are four entry categories: Dosanmai ginjo-shu, Ginjo-shu, Junmai-shu and Keiseimai gokumi-shu.
 Sake applied to the categories Dosanmai ginjo-shu, Ginjo-shu, and Junmai-shu must be undiluted sake brewed at the manufacturer’s own licensed production sites during the brewing year 2025.
 Sake applied to the Keiseimai gokumi-shu category must be sake brewed at the manufacturer’s own licensed production sites during the brewing years 2022-2025.

Other entry standards are as follows:

(1) Dosanmai ginjo-shu

Entries are limited to sake that can be labeled as daiginjo-shu or junmai-daiginjo-shu under “Labeling Standards for the Manufacturing Process and Quality of Sake”, manufactured from 100% Hokkaido rice.

(2) Ginjo-shu

Entries are limited to sake that can be labeled as daiginjo-shu or junmai-daiginjo-shu under “Labeling Standards for the Manufacturing Process and Quality of Sake” (excluding items meeting the description of (1) above).

(3) Junmai-shu

Entries are limited to sake that can be labeled as junmai-shu under “Labeling Standards for the Manufacturing Process and Quality of Sake” and are made from rice with a seimai-buai (rice-polishing ratio) of 55% or higher.

(4) Keiseimai gokumi-shu

Entries are limited to sake that meet ① or ② below. (Ingredients other than rice, rice-koji, and water are limited to sake-kasu, jozo-alcohol, shochu, and sake.)

① Usage rate of rice whose seimai-buai (rice-polishing ratio) is 80% or higher is 75% or above, and seimai-buai of all rice ingredient is 60% or higher.

② Sake made from rice with a seimai-buai of 75% or higher.

• * Refer to Attachment 1 regarding “Labeling Standards for the Manufacturing Process and Quality of Sake.”
• * Refer to Attachment 2 for the manufacturing status of ginjo-shu and junmai-shu, etc.

4. Quality Examinations

(1) Jury

Experts with sake-making knowledge and sensory evaluation experience are appointed by the Director of the Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology from National Research Institute of Brewing, sake-making instructional institutions and sake manufacturers with 3 or more years of sake-making experience.

* Refer to Attachment 3 for the jury members.

(2) Quality Examination Methods

Quality examinations are conducted by comprehensively evaluating the taste and flavor (scaled score) and pointing out taste and flavor characteristics (profile).

(3) Comprehensive Evaluation Standards

Respective jury members make evaluations based on their own rich knowledge of manufacturing technology and sensory evaluation experience.

5. Presentation of Award Certificates

After compilation of the results of the comprehensive evaluation for each category, the entries finishing in the upper rankings (approximately 40% of entrants) shall be commended as Gold Prize winners, whose manufacturers will be presented with award certificates.

6. Tasting Event for Sake Manufacturers

The tasting event for sake manufacturers is held to allow entrants to mutually evaluate and study all entries.

Participants are associates of the sake manufacturing industry (excluding those under 20 years old).

Gold Prize winners will be denoted with a gold tag on their bottle.

Attachment 1

Labeling Standards for the Manufacturing Process and Quality of Sake (Overview)

National Tax Agency Notice No. 8, November 22, 1989

○ Labeling Tokutei meisho (specific designations) of sake

Attachment 2

Manufacture Status of Ginjo-shu and Junmai-shu

　During the brewing year 2024 (July 2024 – June 2025), the manufactured quantities of ginjo-shu, junmai ginjo-shu and junmai-shu (20% ABV equivalent) in Hokkaido were as follows:

* The numbers in parentheses are percentages relative to all sake.

Attachment 3

Hokkaido Sake Awards 2025 Quality Examination Jury

* JCN:Japan Corporate Number