The U.S. Sake Events Scene: Who's Behind America's Nine Festivals

Since the early 2000s, the international sake industry has been eager to reach new audiences by hosting sake-themed events. While some are large-scale tastings inspired by holidays such as October 1st World Sake Day, some are smaller, more intimate events that merge Japanese culture with the flavor of their respective cities. Not only do these events draw interest from global sake lovers, but they also work to break down the language and cultural barriers that can make sake feel inaccessible to new consumers.

Over recent years, a continuous stream of sake events has formed all across the world, especially in the U.S., which is sake’s biggest volume export market. Here are the major players in the U.S. sake events scene who have helped build the interest in Japanese sake we see today.

Joy of Sake - Honolulu, Hawaii est. 2001

The first ever sake event in the United States was The Joy of Sake in 2001 in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is a non-profit organization whose mission is, “to promote and celebrate the art and culture of sake through actual tasting events.” It was created to allow consumers to taste entries from the U.S. National Sake Appraisal, a sake competition with judges from Japan and the USA.

This event features 487 sake, so servings of sake are poured in 10ml increments (⅓ of an ounce). This gives attendees the greatest chance of trying as much sake as they like without consuming large quantities. JOS also partners with 15-20 local restaurants to provide appetizers that pair well with the sake featured. Not all of the sake at this event is available for purchase in the U.S. This gives attendees an opportunity to sample sake that is not sold commercially in the United States.

As a non-profit, they are big supporters of museums and charities, contributing funds to select organizations every year. The Joy of Sake are leaders in the sake events industry and have expanded to holding their event in Honolulu, NYC and Tokyo annually.

SAKE DAY - San Francisco, California est. 2004

Every year on October 1, sake drinkers around the world celebrate Nihonshu no Hi, or World Sake Day, with a shared “kanpai.” It was invented by the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association in 1978 to commemorate the recent rice harvest and the beginning of the sake brewing year. They picked the date of October 1st, which for sake producers practicing kanzukuri (winter brewing), was right on course with the start of their brewing season.

This day can be celebrated anywhere and with any size group. It is a special day to be shared amongst sake lovers and unites them with an international toast. This concept was expanded upon by Beau Timken, the owner of True Sake, who sought for the entire sake industry to work together for the greater good of sake appreciation. SAKE DAY was founded in 2004 and is the event that best honors the original concept of Nihonshu no Hi. It has become one of the largest annual sake celebrations in the United States and has inspired a blossoming of sake events across the country.

The event is held in collaboration with the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC), as they are the sole beneficiary of SAKE DAY proceeds. In addition, it has been a tradition to not charge for tables at the event, which is unheard of in the beverage events industry. Over 300 local, international and Japanese sake can be tasted over 4 hours the closest Saturday before October 1st every year.

SAKE DAY EAST - Boston, Massachusetts est. 2021

Founded by Marina Giordano, a wine and sake educator and Emmy Award-winning television director, SAKE DAY EAST is held annually in Boston, Massachusetts. Marina has been the executive director of New England’s largest celebration of World Sake Day since 2021. This event includes a walk-around grand tasting with over 100 sake from Japan and the U.S., guided masterclasses, a VIP hour, small guided group tastings, a jazz quartet, and local artisans such as Japanese potters, rice-based skin care products and ikebana.

By attending and participating in events such as Kanpai Toronto and SAKE DAY in San Francisco, Marina was inspired to bring the Sake Day concept to Boston. She felt that creating an event like this would introduce more people to the wonders of sake and in turn would influence the growth of the sake industry in her region and bring a better selection of sake in the Boston market.

Fuyu Fest - Portland, Oregon est. 2023

Fuyu Fest is hosted by Nina Murphy, the owner of bar and retail sake shop Sunflower Sake in Portland, Oregon. Fuyu Fest is the premier sake festival in the Pacific Northwest held annually at The Redd on Salmon, a venue in Portland's Central Eastside Industrial District. The epic Sake Fest PDX existed for almost a decade, but completed their tenure as of 2019. In 2023, Nina invented Fuyu Fest, a wintertime grassroots sake festival featuring mostly Japanese sake, but also sake from around the world and many local artists. It is a sake tasting and bazaar with evolving features like kanzake demonstrations, local food vendors and artisans, specialty coffee, and a sake nail artist. Each year, local artists contribute designs for the festival’s posters and commemorative handmade sakazuki.

Nina has been working hard at making Portland a destination for sake enthusiasts and Fuyu Fest is an extension of her mission. As a small sake purveyor, she draws on her relationships with Japanese producers, her retail experience, and her focus on hospitality to attract everyone from newbies to connoisseurs to this inspiring beverage. Sunflower Sake takes pride in showcasing powerhouse brands, but supporting up-and-comers is close to their heart. They benefit by seeing newcomers find their footing in an important U.S. market that values high quality and innovation.

In the spirit of SAKE DAY San Francisco, Fuyu Fest donates 20% of the ticket proceeds to Ikoi no Kai, a community lunch and cultural program for Japanese seniors living in Portland.

NamaFest - Oakland, California est. 2024

Namafest is hosted by Umami Mart, founded by owners and longtime friends Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori. They are known for offering well-curated home goods and a wide array of retail sake and shochu which can be enjoyed at their in-house tasting bar. In addition to being successful shop owners, Yoko and Kayoko are famous authors who penned the book Everyday Sake. Another exciting element of their business is their well-attended parties that bring the Bay Area sake community together and actually convince many San Franciscans to cross the bridge over to Oakland to attend!

NamaFest is a spring celebration of namazake, which is sake that has not been stabilized by pasteurization. Nama is sake in its raw, unadulterated form, many of which are straight from the press. Since the early aughts, retailers like True Sake have advocated for greater access to unpasteurized sake in the U.S. market. It has been a slow build and it took another two decades to finally have a dedicated namazake festival in this country. Namafest is the only event of its kind!

Most of Umami Mart’s events are hosted in the shop/bar itself while utilizing a friendly outdoor backlot just behind their store. This event features over 40 namazake both local and Japanese, food by pop-up industry legend Casa dei Kei and music by rotating DJs in the area. From their annual anniversary celebrations to their latest invention, Shochu Live - the first ever shochu event in America, the shop has also expanded its event programming to include new categories and products from Japan.

American Craft Sake Fest - Asheville, NC est. 2019

The American Craft Sake Fest was established as an event focused on sake made in the United States. It was originally hosted by Ben’s American Sake Brewery and has since grown into a much larger event with US-made sake at its core. Over 100 sake are now displayed, which include breweries from Japan and beyond. Activities include sake seminars, food and sake pairing, a live tuna cutting and DJ sets. Since their first year in 2019, they have been in collaboration with Sake Brewers Association of North America, also known as SBANA. It is a non-profit organization that connects sake brewers across the nation by providing a brewing community committed to quality, ethical trade and continued promotion of sake.

Hosts and venues have changed for this festival since it started in North Carolina, but the festival has continued its collaboration with SBANA. Origami Sake in Hot Springs, Arkansas hosted the event for two years in 2024 and 2025 and it is now hosted by Sawtelle Sake, Story Boldy and Yama Sushi Marketplace at Lumen West LA, an outdoor rooftop setting in LA’s Sawtelle, Japantown.

More U.S. Sake Events

San Diego Sake Festival - San Diego, CA est. 2017: Presented by the San Diego Sake Club in collaboration with Jetro LA, this event is hosted annually with hundreds of sake selections, guidance on sake and food pairings, and a sake barrel opening called kagami biraki to commemorate the event.

Long Beach Sake Day - Long Beach, CA est. 2023: Organized by Greg Beck of the retail shop Sake Secret, this outdoor Southern California event highlights over 100 sake on the grounds of the historic Rancho Los Cerritos. The event also includes a kagami biraki ceremony, offers meet and greets with brewers and a variety of Japanese street foods.

Sake Day Brooklyn - Brooklyn, NY est. 2024: Hosted by Brooklyn Kura, New York City’s first sake brewery. Founded by Brian Polen and Brandon Doughan in 2018, Brooklyn Kura is located in Industry City, Brooklyn. Their Sake Day event includes sake from over 50 breweries, tours of their brewery, DJs and raffle giveaways including sake classes held at their Sake Studies Center.

The growth in both the number and scale of sake events is another reflection of the thriving global interest in Japanese products and culture. As more and more people experience sake and connect with the communities surrounding it, these events are likely to continue to grow. They create opportunities for people from different countries and backgrounds to come together through a shared interest in sake and Japanese culture.