[Press Release] Ultra-Premium Sake Pairing Event Featuring “REIKYO” Held in Nagoya

World-Renowned Ultra-Premium Sake “REIKYO” × Master Japanese Cuisine – A Revolutionary Sake Pairing Experience

SAKURA SAKE SHOP INC. (Headquarters: Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture; President: Yuichi Kondo and Takeshi Komazawa), driven by the mission “to create the world’s most exciting sake experiences,” hosted an unprecedented ultra-premium sake pairing event on May 2, 2025, embodying the perfect harmony of tradition and innovation.

The event featured “REIKYO Absolute 0,” priced at approximately 400,000 yen ($2,670) per bottle, alongside other supreme sake produced through traditional craftsmanship, offering an experiential event where participants could feel the essence and future of Japanese culture. Under the challenging vision of “positioning sake as equal to or superior in value to the world’s finest wines,” this event was implemented as a revolutionary challenge to sake culture.

Note: USD conversion calculated at 150 JPY = 1 USD

The Pinnacle of Tradition: “REIKYO” – Revolutionary Junmai Daiginjo Born from 5,297 Hours of Dedication

“REIKYO Absolute 0,” the symbol of this pairing event, is a sake that has gained worldwide attention as the ultimate pursuit of traditional sake brewing methods. Created by Niizawa Sake Brewery through an unprecedented challenge of polishing rice to 0.85% over 5,297 hours (more than 220 days).

This level of rice polishing was beyond the classification of conventional liquor tax laws and became the legendary sake that triggered changes to Japan’s liquor tax legislation.

With domestic distribution limited to only 333 bottles annually, this pairing event offered the luxurious experience of tasting both 2023 and 2024 vintages of this rare sake.

Master-Crafted Japanese Cuisine – Innovative Pairing that Brings Out the Best of Ingredients

The cuisine was handled by “Mikan Kotohogi,” a renowned Nagoya restaurant with Michelin recognition. The collaboration between this establishment celebrating its 10th anniversary and SAKURA SAKE SHOP INC. created a platform to expand the possibilities of Japanese cuisine and sake.

Each pairing was designed to maximize the characteristics of traditional Japanese ingredients and sake: the freshness of clams with the transparency of “REIKYO,” the sweetness of Hokkaido king crab with the delicacy of “ZANKYO,” the complex flavors of luxury delicacies with “ZAKU KIZUI,” and the harmony of Kuroge Wagyu beef with warmed “USUMIDORI Yamahai Junmai Ginjo.”

Additionally, a blind tasting game comparing different rice polishing ratios (55% vs 15%) of the same HAKURAKUSEI brand was conducted, providing an experience to deepen understanding of the factors that determine sake flavor.

The Sake Prince: Delivering the Ultimate Sake Experience

Yuichi Kondo, representative of SAKURA SAKE SHOP INC. and known as the “Sake Prince,” hosts over 20 pairing events annually with a cumulative event record exceeding 200 occasions.

For domestic sales, the company operates “REIKA,” which maintains thorough quality control at minus 5°C, considered the most appropriate temperature for sake preservation.

“Our mission is ‘to create the world’s most exciting sake experiences.’ By proposing innovative experiences while preserving tradition, we aim to maximize sake’s appeal and create new value in the market. To achieve this, we plan to further expand our premium pairing experiences.”

This inaugural event received feedback from participants such as “My entire sake experience has been transformed” and “My perception of sake’s value has fundamentally changed.”

Future Challenges – Elevating Sake’s Value for Domestic, Inbound, and Global Markets

This ultra-premium pairing event attracted 9 participants in their 30s and 40s, selling out immediately despite the high participation fee. This success suggests the potential for revolutionary innovation in sake’s perceived value.

Internationally, sake is increasingly recognized as a global beverage, with demand for premium-grade sake accelerating particularly when paired with Japanese cuisine. Leveraging our track record of exporting to over 20 countries worldwide, we plan to expand our offerings to inbound tourists as well.

SAKURA SAKE SHOP INC. has consistently undertaken exceptional challenges for a sake retailer, including recovery from fire damage, charity sake releases supporting Ukraine and Turkey-Syria earthquake relief, and Taiwan earthquake support.

Moving forward, we will continue to create new value for sake and pursue “the world’s most exciting sake experiences” through events that provide innovative experiences while preserving tradition, such as premium sake pairing events.

Event Details

Event Name: “REIKYO × Japanese Cuisine” – Ultimate Pairing Experience by Master Craftsmen
Date: May 2, 2025, 6:30 PM – 9:40 PM
Venue: Mikan Kotohogi (Higashiku, Nagoya City)
Featured Sake: 8000 DRY SPARKLING 2023, REIKYO 2023, REIKYO 2024, ZANKYO 2023, HAKUIN MASAMUNE Kimoto Junmai, HAKURAKUSEI Junmai Ginjo, HAKURAKUSEI HIKARI, UGONOTSUKI RAY, ZAKU KIZUI, KAMOKINSHU Jungin Omachi, USUMIDORI Yamahai Junmai Ginjo, KEYAKI (Craft Gin)

External Publication Information

This press release is also distributed through: [PR TIMES]