IWC Announces 2025 Sake Awards

10th September 2025

On 9th September in London, the International Wine Challenge (IWC) announced its four top sake award winners, including the IWC 2025 Champion Sake, this year’s overall victor.

The IWC sake competition is widely regarded as the most rigorous and influential competition of its kind in the world. This year’s judging took place over four days in April at The Kia Oval, London. Marking the 19th year of the sake competition since its inception in 2007, 70 of the world’s leading sake experts from 18 countries evaluated an impressive 1,476 entries under strict blind-tasting protocols and multiple rounds of group assessment.

For 2025, the competition also welcomed 20 sake brands from four countries outside Japan, including the US, UK, Vietnam, and China, reflecting the growing global reach of sake.

The IWC sake competition now has 10 categories: Futsu-shu, Honjozo, Ginjo, Daiginjo, Junmai, Junmai Ginjo, Junmai Daiginjo, Koshu, Aged sake and Sparkling sake. This year the results of medals and trophies were announced online in May. And today, on the 9th September at the IWC Awards Dinner at the Guildhall in London, the final results were announced on the stage for the IWC 2025 Champion Sake, IWC 2025 Great Value Champion Sake, IWC 2025 Sake Brewer of the year, and IWC 2025 Sake Prefecture of the Year. This black-tie award dinner was attended by nominated sake makers, judges, sake supporters and world press. The ambassador of Japan Mr. Hiroshi Suzuki and his wife also joined this celebration and presented an award on the stage.

The 4 awards were presented by Ken Ohashi MW, a co-chairman of IWC sake competition and the winners were announced by sponsors. The results were as follows:

⭐️ The IWC 2025 Champion Sake

Sponsored by Kyosei Bank in Japan, the 2025 IWC Champion Sake which is regarded the most influential award known as ‘The Oscar’ of the sake industry went to Shichiken Hakushin, Junmai Daiginjo by Yamanashi Meijo Co. Ltd, from Yamanashi Prefecture.

Mr. Tsushima Kitahara, the 13th generation head of the 275-year-old Yamanashi Meijo brewery, received the prestigious award. This marks the first time that Shichiken has won an IWC award, though the brand’s recognition at the competition has steadily grown since Tsushima took over the company in 2018. In his very first year, he secured two gold medals and a place on the Great Value shortlist, and has since continued to collect medals consistently year after year.

Currently serving as Chairman of the Sake Samurai Association, Tsushima has also achieved a remarkable milestone: he is the first sitting chairman ever to receive a major award at the IWC Sake Competition since its inception in 2007.

The champion sake, Shichiken Hakushin, which triumphed over 1,475 entries, is crafted using locally grown rice polished down to 27% and carefully fermented at low temperatures. Regarded as the pinnacle of the Shichiken brand, it is matured for one year in the brewery’s cellar before release. Its label, depicting a striking white mountain range, was designed by a renowned textile artist to capture the beauty and power of the Hakushu region in Yamanashi Prefecture. More info: https://sake-shichiken.com

⭐️ The IWC Champion Great Value Sake 2025

This award, sponsored by the Sake Samurai Association (Chairman Mr. Tsushima Kitahara) went to the best quality sake available at the most reasonable price. To qualify for a Great Value Award, entries must receive a Gold or Silver medal at the competition, have a minimum production volume of 100,000 bottles and be available nationwide for less than 1,500 Yen (approximately £6) for a 720 ml regular bottle size. This year, the Champion Great Value Sake Award was won by Hana Akita 2024, Hokushika Co. Ltd. from Akita Prefecture

At this year’s competition, Hana Akita was honoured for delivering exceptional value for money. Brewed with yeast traditionally reserved for ginjo sake, this fruity futsushu (table sake) stands out for its rich, full-bodied flavor that showcases the natural depth of rice. When served well-chilled, it reveals a clean, refined elegance, making it a versatile choice for any occasion.

Adding to its appeal, the strikingly colourful packaging makes a memorable impression on the shelf. With a retail price of just 1,123 yen (approx. £5.60) for a 1,800 ml beautiful pack, Hana Akita offers world-class quality at an unbeatable price.

Tasting note: This Futsu-shu is a mix of fruits and daisies on the nose, soft and balanced on the palate, creamy, elegant and with a lovely umami finish.

At the awards dinner, on behalf of the brewery, Rie Yoshitake, the IWC Sake ambassador, received the award from Mr Tsushima Kitahara, the chairman of Sake Samurai Association.

⭐️ IWC Sake Brewer of the Year 2025

Finally, the highly coveted IWC Sake Brewer of the Year award was announced. This award is equivalent to the Winemaker of the Year award and is awarded to the brewer with the highest consistency of results across their entries. This year, the ambassador of Japan to the UK, Hiroshi Suzuki and his wife announced the winner and presented to Niizawa Sake Brewery Co. Ltd from Miyagi Prefecture.

Master Brewer Nanami Watanabe and Miyu Kurita proudly took the stage to receive the award, marking the fourth consecutive year of this prestigious honour. Once again, the achievements of Niizawa Brewery went far beyond Sake Brewer of the Year.

As in the previous year, the brewery won four trophies — two for honjozo sake and two for aged sake, with honjozo also making the shortlist for Brewer of the Year. In addition, Niizawa secured an impressive 19 gold medals, 28 silver medals, and 10 bronze medals.

With this remarkable record, Niizawa Brewery continues to push the boundaries of sake, constantly innovating, developing, and challenging convention to redefine what sake can be.

More info: Niizawa Sake Brewery in Miyagi is renowned for its bold, innovative, and boundary-pushing approach to sake making — including the appointment of Ms. Nanami Watanabe as brewmaster at the age of just 22, making her the youngest female toji in history. The original Niizawa Brewery was completely destroyed in the 2011 Tohoku tsunami. With unyielding determination and pioneering spirit, Mr. Niizawa and his team rebuilt the brewery from scratch in a new location, turning tragedy into a powerful story of resilience and renewal.

⭐️ IWC Sake Prefecture of the Year 2024

This award is sponsored by Nomura Real Estate in Japan and started last year. The shortlisted prefectures were announced at the award dinner in the presence of Yutaka Hayasaka, managing director of Nomura Real Estate UK.

This year, 4 prefectures were nominated for this award; Fukushima Pref., Hyogo Pref., Miyagi Pref., and Nagano Pref. The winner was Miyagi Prefecture.
Miyagi Prefecture is the first winner of this award following last year’s winner Nagano Prefecture.

Further info: To decide on the winner of this new award, IWC collates data from the results of the competition, analyses, and scores. Sake prefectures with minimum 50 entries are awarded points for each sake of the current brewing season that have won an IWC Trophy, Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal or Commended Medal Award. Points are deducted for a sake submitted into the competition which did not receive an award. The results are then weighted based on the volume of entry from the region, and finally given an average score per prefecture.

About the IWC Sake Competition:

The IWC sake competition started in 2007 under the auspices of the Sake Samurai Association with 228 sakes entering that year. Now the IWC is widely regarded as one of the largest, most credible, and prestigious sake competitions in the world. IWC sake judging took place in London as a base but has also been held in Japan twice, in Hyogo in 2016 and Yamagata in 2018.

The finalists for the IWC 2025 Champion sake

・Futsu-shu Trophy: Hanaakita Hokushika Akita Pref.
・Honjozo Trophy: Atagonomatsu Kennai Honjozo, Niizawa Sake Brewery Miyagi Pref.
・Junmai Trophy: Asamayama Ibuki, Asama Shuzo, Gunma Pref.
・Ginjo Trophy: Mutsu Hassen Pink Label, Hachinohe Shuzo Aomori Pref.
・Daiginjo Trophy: Nagasaki Bijin Daiginjo, Fukuda Sake Brewing Company Nagasaki
・Junmai Ginjo Trophy: Daisekkei Junmai Ginjo D Omachi, Daisekkei Sake Brewing Nagano Pref.
・Junmai Daiginjo Trophy: Shichiken Hakushin Junmai Daiginjo, Yamanashi Meijo, Yamanashi Pref.
・Sparkling Sake Trophy: Kamotsuru Sparkling Sake KOJU, Kamotsuru Sake Brewing, Hiroshima Pref.
・Aged Sake Trophy: Junmai Daiginjo Zankyo Super7 2018, Niizawa Sake Brewery, Miyagi Pref
・Koshu Trophy: Jumangame Junmai Koshu, Kameda Shuzo, Chiba Pref.