Sake Matsuri Japan Autumn: taste sake straight from the brewers, steps from the station
Free entry at Okachimachi Panda Hiroba. Pay only for the tasting tickets you use.
Sake Matsuri Japan 2026 Autumn (酒まつりジャパン 2026秋) is a four-day outdoor sake fair in front of JR Okachimachi Station, running from Friday, October 9 to Monday, October 12 (Sports Day holiday). It is the third edition. Eleven breweries set up their own booths, so you can ask the people who made the sake about it while you drink, and a separate tasting corner lines up 113 labels from around the country.
Walking in costs nothing. Money only comes into it when you buy tasting tickets, and the advance ticket gives you more pours than the same-price ticket sold on the day. That difference is the main thing worth planning around.
Dates, hours and location
Hours are not the same every day. The opening Friday starts late in the afternoon, and the holiday Monday wraps up early, so check the row for the day you plan to go.
| Date | Hours |
|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 9 | 16:00–21:00 |
| Sat, Oct 10 | 11:00–21:00 |
| Sun, Oct 11 | 11:00–21:00 |
| Mon, Oct 12 (holiday) | 11:00–18:00 |
| Venue | Okachimachi Panda Hiroba (おかちまちパンダ広場) |
|---|---|
| Address | 3-26 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo (in front of the south exit of JR Okachimachi Station) |
| Entry | Free |
| Official site | sakefesta.jp |
| Organizer | Sake Matsuri Japan Executive Committee (酒まつりジャパン実行委員会) |
Tasting tickets: advance vs. on the day
Both ticket types cost the same ¥3,000. What changes is how many pours you get.
| Ticket | Pours | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Advance | 10 | ¥3,000 |
| On the day | 7 | ¥3,000 |
If you already know you are going, buying in advance gets you three extra pours for the same money. If you just want to drop by on the way home from work and see how you feel, the same-day ticket keeps things flexible.
The 11 breweries pouring
The exhibitors come from six prefectures, with Niigata and Saitama sending the most. Talking to the brewery staff is half the fun here: ask what makes their sake different, and they will usually tell you.
| Prefecture | Brewery | Japanese name |
|---|---|---|
| Ibaraki | Raifuku Shuzo | 来福酒造 |
| Gunma | Bunbuku Shuzo | 分福酒造 |
| Saitama | Shinkame Shuzo | 神亀酒造 |
| Saitama | Asahara Shuzo | 麻原酒造 |
| Saitama | Kamaya | 釜屋 |
| Niigata | Niigata Daiichi Shuzo | 新潟第一酒造 |
| Niigata | Yoshinogawa | 吉乃川 |
| Niigata | Takarayama Jozo | たからやま醸造 |
| Niigata | Shirataki Shuzo | 白瀧酒造 |
| Mie | Moriki Shuzo | 森喜酒造 |
| Tottori | Suwa Shuzo | 諏訪酒造 |
The 113-label tasting corner
Beyond the brewery booths, a tasting corner (kikizake) gathers 113 sakes from all over Japan. Along with the exhibitors’ own labels, it includes well-known names such as these:
| Label | Japanese name |
|---|---|
| Zaku | 作 |
| Kid | 紀土 |
| Kuzuryu | 九頭龍 |
| Urakasumi | 浦霞 |
| Jokigen | 上喜元 |
| Gangi | 雁木 |
With that many bottles and a limited number of pours on your ticket, it helps to go in with a loose plan: pick a couple of labels you have heard of, then let the rest be discovery.
Getting there and what the venue is like
Okachimachi Panda Hiroba is the plaza right outside the south exit of JR Okachimachi Station, so there is barely any walking involved. The venue has both table seating and standing areas, which suits a quick after-work glass as well as a longer afternoon session.
Because entry is free, it is easy to fold into a day around Ueno and Okachimachi. If you are riding JR a lot this autumn, the Aki no Norihodai Pass for unlimited JR local trains may be worth a look. And for somewhere cheap to soak afterwards, see the ¥300 coupon for Tokyo public bathhouses.
What to check before you go
- Friday starts at 16:00, not 11:00, and Monday ends at 18:00.
- Where and until when advance tickets are sold has not been confirmed here.
- Accepted payment methods at the venue have not been published.
- There is no information on what happens if it rains.
For all of these, the official Sake Matsuri Japan page is the place to check. Looking for more free things to do in Tokyo this season? The Setagaya Tamagawa Fireworks guide covers viewing spots and getting home, and the Shibaura Canal Festival guide covers its free canal cruises.
FAQ
- Q. Is entry to Sake Matsuri Japan free?
- Yes. Entry is free. You only pay for tasting tickets if you want to drink.
- Q. How much are the tasting tickets?
- Both cost ¥3,000. The advance ticket gives 10 pours and the same-day ticket gives 7 pours.
- Q. What are the opening hours?
- Friday, October 9 runs 16:00–21:00, Saturday and Sunday run 11:00–21:00, and Monday, October 12 runs 11:00–18:00.
- Q. Where is the venue?
- Okachimachi Panda Hiroba, 3-26 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo, right outside the south exit of JR Okachimachi Station.
- Q. Where can I buy advance tickets, and can I pay by card?
- Neither the advance ticket sales outlet nor the accepted payment methods have been confirmed here. Please check the official website.
- Q. Is there seating?
- Yes. The venue has table seating as well as standing areas.
Information as of September 29, 2026, based on the official website. Details may change, so please check the official page before visiting.