Entries Open for Luxury Japan Award 2027 ‘Sake Terroir Grand Prize’ with Shinya Tasaki as Head Judge
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The Luxury Japan Tourism Organization has established a new “Sake Terroir Grand Prize” as part of the “Luxury Japan Award 2027”, an initiative designed to promote the appeal of Japan’s luxury tourism both domestically and internationally, and began accepting entries on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
The Luxury Japan Award is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. To date, through its Hotel and Ryokan and Restaurant categories, the award has recognized high-quality lodging and dining experiences across Japan and promoted them both domestically and internationally. With the newly established “Sake Terroir Grand Prix,” we view sake as a vital regional asset that bridges Japan’s regional culture and luxury tourism, and we will promote its value to the world.
This award focuses not only on the quality of sake but also on the “terroir”—the regional environment, climate, water, rice, and culture that underpin it—with the aim of promoting the unique character and value of sake produced by breweries across Japan to audiences both at home and abroad.
In recent years, sake has garnered high acclaim in overseas markets and has become a key element in conveying the appeal of Japan, alongside Japanese culinary culture and tourism. On the other hand, while the concept of “terroir” is widely recognized in the global wine market, it cannot be said to be sufficiently appreciated or promoted in the context of sake.
The Luxury Japan Award 2027 proposes a new evaluation framework that views sake not merely as an alcoholic beverage, but as a “regional asset” that reflects the natural environment, history, and culture of various regions across Japan, thereby conveying its appeal to the world.
Luxury Japan Award : https://ljtm.org/award/en/
Shinya Tasaki Appointed Chair of the Screening Committee
Shinya Tasaki, known as the winner of the World’s Best Sommelier Competition, will serve as the chair of the judging panel for the Sake Terroir Grand Prix.
Mr. Tasaki possesses extensive knowledge of wine, sake, and food culture, as well as an international network, and has served as a judge and chair of the judging panel at numerous competitions and tasting events both in Japan and abroad. He is well-versed not only in the quality of sake but also in the terroir and cultural values behind it. For this award, he will be responsible for evaluating and promoting the appeal of sake from an international perspective.
Additionally, to strengthen the evaluation and promotion of sake in overseas markets, we will invite sake experts from abroad to serve as judges. Furthermore, regarding Japanese judges, we plan to select experts—recommended by Chairman Shinya Tasaki—who hold professional certifications such as the SAKE DIPLOMA and possess extensive tasting experience. We will establish a judging system that combines an international perspective with specialized expertise from within Japan.
Categories
・Junmai Daiginjo Category
・Junmai Category
Eligibility
Commercially available sake that expresses the unique characteristics of its terroir, such as the local climate, natural environment, and characteristics of the raw materials
Entry Period
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 – Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Toward Regional Revitalization and the Global Promotion of Sake Culture
The Luxury Japan Award was established to promote the development of luxury tourism in Japan and enhance its international recognition. Now in its fifth year, the award has introduced a new category—the Sake Terroir Grand Prize—to highlight the local environments, cultures, techniques, and regional characteristics cultivated by sake breweries across Japan, with the aim of contributing to regional revitalization and the further development of inbound tourism through sake. We hope that the richly distinctive sake from each region will serve as a new point of connection with enthusiasts and affluent travelers from around the world.
About the Luxury Japan Award
The Luxury Japan Award is an award established to promote the development of luxury tourism in Japan and enhance its international recognition. Through a judging process conducted by experts and specialists from Japan and abroad, the award selects Japan’s leading accommodations, restaurants, and sake, and showcases their value to the world.