Under the theme of “Re-Discovering Sake,” the Tokyo Sake Challenge and Japan Life are once again setting out to showcase Japan’s diverse beverage scene and, through the addition of new categories, create even more opportunities for breweries to enter. Making it the perfect place to introduce new sake, challenge your thoughts about sake, and discover all that sake can be.

2026 TOKYO SAKE CHALLENGE & RESULTS

Robb Report Philippines

Robb Report PH & The Charming Sake present “Understanding Sake.”

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MANILA // COURSES & EVENTS // AUTUMN 2026

•|• April 4, 2026 --- International Sake Sommelier Day feels a little more personal this year.

An honor to have judged at the Tokyo Sake Challenge 2026, tasting an incredible range of expressions shaped by craft, culture, and precision.

A

•|• A master level sake pairing experience at Ginza Sake Gallery Kojiya with Sanshiro Sake Brewery Honten, guided by Sensei Reiichi Fujita through a lineup of Junmai, Ginjo, Daiginjo, and a vibrant Nama.

Rooted in Edo period origins as a k

•|• Honored to be invited as a judge for the Tokyo Sake Challenge 2026 and looking forward to an exciting weekend celebrating the spirit of “Re Discovering Sake” and the diversity of Japan’s sake world.

@sakesommeliers

Wonderful experience tasting IWA at Hi Time Wine Cellars. Created by Richard Geoffroy after nearly three decades guiding Dom Pérignon, IWA was built in Toyama with the vision of creating a sake rooted in Japan while opening a new conversation

•|• Bún bò Huế, the fiery Vietnamese beef noodle soup layered with lemongrass, chili, and fermented shrimp paste, finds a surprising complement in Kaze no Mori Pink Label 507, an unpasteurised, unfiltered, undiluted sake from

•|• Apero. Caviar and Suigei “SHO” from Kochi Prefecture meet in a dance of ocean brine and silken umami, an elegant union of East and West.

Tasting Notes: Melon, Apricot, Rice Pudding
Alcohol %: 16%
Temperature: Best served c

•|• Tokyo Drifted. Musashi in a glass.

HeavenSake x Ambush delivers sharp elegance, while Musashi Extra Dry, crafted by the chef at Aman Tokyo, hits with clean precision. Bone-dry, balanced, with a whisper of ginjo aroma. Perfect alongside

•|• Decades have passed since I wrote a feature, yet some stories still find their way home. Honored to join the Robb Report legacy, a publication that once felt like a distant dream. They say dreams have a way of coming full circle.

Even

•|• April 4, 2025 - We celebrate International Sake Sommelier Day with a toast to the passion, knowledge, and artistry of sake sommeliers around the world.

Whether you’re pairing, pouring, or simply sipping, here’s to the craft

•|• A Creamy Contrast. Hakkaisan “Sparkling” Nigori, with its lightly sweet, unfiltered texture and refreshing acidity, creates an intriguing contrast with tuna sashimi. The sake’s natural creaminess complements the lean a

•|• Pearls of the Deep. A canvas of ocean elegance, each slice of sashimi a brushstroke of freshness and finesse, heightened by the silky embrace of a crisp Ginjo sake, smooth as the afternoon tide.

Music Pairing: Brahms - 16 Waltzes, Op.

•|• Lunar New Year 2025 / The Year Of The Snake 🐍

As you celebrate, raise a cup of sake to new beginnings, good fortune, and cherished moments of joy. Wishing you wisdom, prosperity, and happiness in the Year of the Snake!

Katsuyama Ju

•|• The Charming Sake presents Omasake 357 by @thejamieproject - Part 2

6 Courses w/ Wine & Sake Pairing

•|• The Charming Sake presents Omasake 357 by @thejamieproject - Part 1

7 Courses w/ Sake Pairing

1st Course - A Trio of Otoshi
-Braised eggplant simmered in dashi
-Mashed potato with edamame and furikake
-Pickled cucumbers

2nd Course

•|• Cheers to 2025! ✨

As we step into a new year, may our journeys be as refined as the taste of sake, as bold as its innovation, and as joyful as the moments we share with those we cherish.

This year, we raise a glass of The Sake of the