Ginza Autumn Sake Festival
If you like sake, mark October 16 to 18 in your calendar. Five regional shops around Ginza are teaming up for a sake-tasting walk, officially called the Burari Ginza Autumn Sake Festival (第21回 ぶらり銀座 秋の酒まつり). This is the 21st edition, with shops representing Hiroshima, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Fukui and Kochi.
One stamp card gets you a glass of sake with a snack at each of the five shops. Collect all five stamps and you can enter a lottery for local specialty products. It is a good excuse to explore Ginza on foot and try sake you rarely find in a regular bar.
What the festival is
Many Japanese prefectures run antenna shops in Tokyo, usually called furusato shops. They sell food, drinks and crafts from home, and several of them sit close to each other around Ginza. For this festival, the shops of five prefectures team up and each pours a sake from its own region.
| Prefecture | Shop |
|---|---|
| Hiroshima | Hiroshima Brand Shop TAU (ひろしまブランドショップTAU) 1-6-10 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
| Yamagata | Yamagata furusato shop |
| Ibaraki | Ibaraki furusato shop |
| Fukui | Fukui furusato shop |
| Kochi | Kochi furusato shop |
Dates and opening hours
The festival runs for three days in 2026. Hours differ each day, and Friday is a short evening session.
| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16 (Fri) | 16:00–19:00 | Eve session, 3 hours only |
| Oct 17 (Sat) | 10:30–18:00 | Full day |
| Oct 18 (Sun) | 10:30–17:00 | Closes earlier |
Stamp card price and where to buy it
The stamp card is your ticket. It costs a little less if you buy it before the festival.
| Advance | ¥1,500 (tax included) |
|---|---|
| On the day | ¥1,600 (tax included) |
| Limit | First 900 people |
| Where to buy | Any of the five furusato shops |
How the stamp rally works
- Buy a stamp card at one of the five furusato shops.
- Visit each shop during festival hours and show your card.
- Get one glass of that prefecture’s sake with a snack, and a stamp.
- Once you have all five stamps, enter the lottery for local specialty products from the five prefectures.
The prizes and the number of winners are not detailed in the announcement. The official page is the place to check.
Just one glass: chotto nomi
Five glasses is a lot for some people. For them, each shop also offers chotto nomi, which roughly means a quick drink. You can order a single glass without a stamp card, and the organizers describe the prices as reasonable. Exact prices are not in the announcement, so check at each shop.
This works well if you are already in Ginza for shopping and just want to try one sake from a prefecture you have never visited.
Tips before you go
- Plan your route. Look up where the four other shops are on the official page and decide your order before you start.
- Watch the clock on Friday and Sunday. Friday only runs from 16:00 to 19:00, and Sunday closes at 17:00. Starting late may not leave time for all five shops.
- Pace yourself. Five glasses add up. Eat the snacks, drink water between shops, and never drive afterwards. The legal drinking age in Japan is 20.
- Like what you taste? Many regional producers also offer their products as hometown tax gifts. Our guide to this October’s furusato nozei changes explains what donors need to know.
- Make a day of it. For another cheap way to spend an afternoon in Tokyo, the ¥300 Tokyo sento coupon covers hundreds of public bathhouses.
If you enjoy local events like this, our guides to the Setagaya Tamagawa Fireworks and the Shibaura Canal Festival cover more autumn outings in Tokyo.
FAQ
- Q. How much does the Ginza Autumn Sake Festival cost?
- The stamp card costs 1,500 yen in advance or 1,600 yen on the day, tax included. Only the first 900 people can get one.
- Q. Where can I buy the stamp card?
- It is sold at the furusato shops of the five prefectures: Hiroshima, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Fukui and Kochi.
- Q. When is the festival held?
- October 16 (Fri) from 16:00 to 19:00, October 17 (Sat) from 10:30 to 18:00, and October 18 (Sun) from 10:30 to 17:00.
- Q. Can I drink without buying a stamp card?
- Yes. Each shop also runs chotto nomi, where you can order a single glass without a stamp card. Prices are not listed in the announcement, so check at the shop.
- Q. What do I get for collecting all five stamps?
- You can enter a lottery for local specialty products from the five prefectures. The prizes and number of winners have not been announced in detail.