Miss SAKE 2015 contest in Kyoto
Miss SAKE is an annual contest to find an ambassador for Japan which will present and market sake but also Japanese culture and history to different countries all around the world.
The 13 finalists from all over Japan. From left: Hokkaido, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Yamanashi, Aichi, Nagano, Kyoto, Osaka, Ishikawa, Hiroshima, Saga and Nagasaki.
Following competitions around Japan 13 finalists competed for the coveted title November 28 at Hyatt Regency in Kyoto. It was a very even final but finally Ms. Sachie Ogawa of Tokyo was the winner of the title Miss Sake 2015. Runners-ups were Rie Hisada from Kyoto and Rieko Yataka from Nagano. Miss SAKE 2014 Mai Morita handed over the band "Miss SAKE 2015" to Sachie Ogawa.
CEO of Miss Sake Nobuaki Aiba gave a gift to Miss Sake 2015 Ms. Sachie Ogawa
Guest of Honor was the Mayor of City of Kyoto Daisaku Kadokawa. Responsible for the event was Nobuaki Aiba, Representative Director of Miss Nihon Shu Association (Miss SAKE Ass.) and his highly professional staff. Mr. Aiba also delivered the keynote speech. Other speakers were Shigeyuki Shinohara, Chairman of JAPAN'S SAKE and SHOCHYU Makers Association and Leif Almo, Hon. Consul General of Japan in Sweden and founder of SakeTest.com.
The Three Runner-ups
The Miss SAKE competition was first time arranged in 2014 and is supported by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japanese Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, National Tax Agency Japan and Japan Tourism Agency and others. Miss SAKE 2014 was Mai Morita who has been working tirelessly with the aim of educating people around the world about sake and Japanese culture.
Traditional dance by Geishas from Kyoto
Miss SAKE 2015 also offered entertainment of highest international standard. Some of Kyoto's world famous and highly trained geishas presented traditional dance accompanied by a consummate musician playing a shamisen (a traditional Japanese stringed instrument)
Miss Kyoto, Mayor City of Kyoto Daisaku Kadokawa, Miss Sake 2014 Mai Morita, Hon. Consul General of Japan Leif Almo, Miss Sake 2015, CEO of Miss Sake Nobuaki Aiba and Miss Nagano.
13 contestants, 13 judges. Six of the judges at Miss SAKE 2015
Several prominent representatives from the sake branch were participating: As mentioned Shigeyuki Shinohara, Chairman of JAPAN'S SAKE and SHOCHYU Makers Association (JSS), Committee Chairman Tokubee Masuda – JSS, Mr. Irie Keisuke - Sake Samurai Secretariat, President Kenji Ichishima – Ichishima Sake Brewery Inc., President Tokubee Masuda – Tsukino Katsura Sake Co. Ltd, President Takeshi Sekiya – Sekiya Brewery Co. Ltd, President Koichi Saura – Urakasumi Sake Brewery Saura Co. Ltd and many, many more.
Miss SAKE 2014 Mai Morita was one of this amazing evening’s shining stars
An overjoyed Miss SAKE 2015, Ms. Sachie Ogawa on the catwalk receives the audience homages.
With a bow is everyone greeted welcome to Miss Sake 2016. SakeTest.com will keep you informed.
Photos and text: Leif Almo
Miss SAKE 2015 design on SakeTest.com: Vidir Thorisson - ScandNet AB
Video by Miss SAKE Association
Sake Test Film
with Mats Bruzaeus and Mitsuo Otsuka at Izakaya MITSUO in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
Our sommelier
Chief Sommelier Mats Bruzaeus had the pleasure of studying Sake over the years in Japan.More »
