Raise a glass: Craft Sake Week celebrates 10 years

19 hours ago 7

Ten years in, Craft Sake Week is returning for the eighth time to Roppongi Hills from April 17 to 29. “Craft Sake Week 2026 with Omakase byGMO at Roppongi Hills” is its most ambitious edition yet: a record 13-day run, with 130 breweries and 20 acclaimed restaurants.

But beyond the numbers, what defines the event is something less tangible.

Participating breweries were selected through tastings of roughly 400 candidates, evaluated by around 200 experts, including sake specialists, top chefs and sommeliers. The result is a lineup that reflects not just regional diversity, but the current state of sake at its highest level.

This year’s event continues its signature rotating format. Around 10 breweries are featured each day under different themes, allowing guests to move through contrasting expressions of sake, from established icons to more experimental producers, over the course of the festival.

Food, as always, is integral, but a parallel narrative. Michelin starred restaurants will make appearances again this year, many of them notoriously difficult to get reservations at.

Ahead of the opening, I briefly attended a preview of one of the restaurants appearing in the first week – ess., a new Italian spot opened by two chefs from the Salone group, which approaches its menu with a clear focus on texture and umami elements.

Brusquette with 18-month-old aged prosciutto and Hanaahu Tea will also be featured again this year. Image: Mai Shoji

One small but telling detail: Iberico ham, typically a staple, is currently unavailable due to import restrictions linked to swine flu. In its place, alternatives such as Slovenian ham are being used. Slightly lighter in profile, it pairs well with cultured butter on toasted baguette. It’s less intense, but is more balanced with sake.

Among the homemade pastas, a dish featuring shirasu and bottarga expresses a balance of umami and understated elegance, while the octopus arrabbiata stands out for its balance of spice, acidity and texture. It’s the kind of dish worth returning for.

On the final day, several of Japan’s most sought-after restaurants, including TACUBO, L’Effervescence, Torishiki ICHIMON and Fureika, will be showcased, joined by “Team Ishikawa,” a collective from one of Tokyo’s most respected restaurant groups. Together, they reflect the breadth of Japan’s dining scene, from traditional to contemporary.

Also on the closing day, Takagi Shuzo will be featured, pouring rare labels including “Juyondai,” a name that has achieved near-mythical status among sake enthusiasts.

For 2026, venue design is led by Shohei Shigematsu of OMA, the internationally renowned architecture firm. He has drawn on elements such as cherry blossoms, bamboo and the concept of “ma,” or solemn space profound in Japanese aesthetics.

Since its debut in 2016, Craft Sake Week has attracted more than 1.25 million visitors, evolving alongside sake’s own trajectory.

The event remains approachable where visitors begin with a simple starter set - original sake cups and coins and move at their own pace, whether sampling a handful of standout brews or spending hours exploring pairings. For newcomers, it offers an easy entry point. For those more familiar with sake, it provides direct access to producers and limited servings.

It’s a reminder that Craft Sake Week has never been only about sake, but about Japanese craftsmanship and culture as a whole - how it intersects with food, space and the people behind it, naturally bringing together those who appreciate it and know how to enjoy it.

I’m looking forward to witnessing the 10-year-milestone, and yet the beginning of a new decade, in the open-air setting of Roppongi Hills Arena, surrounded by a carefully orchestrated mix of flavor, design and conversation.

Details:

CRAFT SAKE WEEK 2026 with OMAKASE byGMO at ROPPONGI HILLS