If you like Japanese sake, Kanazawa has a one-day festival worth planning a weekend around. Sake Marche (サケマルシェ) brings together 25 sake breweries from across Ishikawa Prefecture and 31 restaurants and food groups in an outdoor space next to the moat of Kanazawa Castle. Walking in costs nothing; you only pay for what you eat and drink, using a ticket booklet that comes with a glass.
This year is the 12th edition, and for the second year in a row the theme is supporting Noto’s sake breweries, which were hit by the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and the heavy rain in Oku-Noto that followed. Part of the proceeds goes to their recovery.
Sake Marche at a glance
| Event | Sake Marche (Ishikawa local sake and food festival) |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, October 3, 2026 |
| Hours | 10:30–17:30 |
| Weather | Held rain or shine |
| Venue | Shiinoki Geihinkan (しいのき迎賓館) 2-1-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa |
| Setting | Outdoors, by the moat of Kanazawa Castle |
| Entry | Free |
| Food and drink | 22-ticket booklet with a glass Advance ¥4,000 On the day ¥4,500 |
| Stalls | 25 breweries 31 restaurants and groups |
| Organizer | Sake Marche Executive Committee (within the Ishikawa Prefecture Sake Brewers Association) |
How the tickets work and where to buy them
Anyone can walk in for free, so you can look around before deciding whether to buy. Sake and food inside the venue are paid for with food and drink tickets called Marche.
A booklet of 22 tickets, which comes with a glass, costs ¥4,000 if you buy in advance and ¥4,500 on the day.
Advance tickets were already on sale when the event was announced on September 26, 2026. You can get them from:
- Ticket Pia, e+ and Lawson Ticket, through 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson convenience stores
- Participating restaurants and participating breweries
- Partner liquor shops and partner restaurants
- The Sake Marche Executive Committee
There is also a bundle for people coming by bus. The Norimasshi Kanazawa (のりまっし金沢) app, run by the Kanazawa MaaS Consortium, sells the advance ticket together with a one-day pass for the Kanazawa Shopping Bus. The app does not sell the advance ticket on its own, so if you only want the festival ticket, use one of the outlets above.
What’s on: highballs, the U29 offer and donation boxes
The main draw is simple: tasting sake from breweries all over the prefecture side by side and pairing it with dishes from well-known local restaurants. Restaurants from Noto that were affected by the disasters are also taking part.
A few extras are worth knowing about:
- Sake highballs. The Kanazawa Sake Brewers Association serves a Kanazawa Highball, and the Ishikawa Bartenders group offers a Noto Highball. Both are meant as new ways to drink sake.
- U29 offer. To get younger people into sake, visitors aged 20 to 29 can try each brewery’s recommended bottle at a special price. The announcement does not explain how age is checked, so bring ID just in case.
- Donation boxes. Next to the box for Noto’s breweries, there is a second box for the Kumamoto earthquake of July 2026. You can donate with cash or with Marche tickets.
The 25 breweries
Every brewery on the list is based in Ishikawa. The names are shown in Japanese, as they will appear on the stall signs. The first column is each brewery’s flagship label.
| Flagship label | Brewery |
|---|---|
| 加賀ノ月 | 加越 |
| 竹葉 | 数馬酒造 |
| 高砂 | 金谷酒造店 |
| 常きげん | 鹿野酒造 |
| 菊姫 | 菊姫 |
| 長生舞 | 久世酒造店 |
| 初桜 | 櫻田酒造 |
| 宗玄 | 宗玄酒造 |
| 天狗舞 | 車多酒造 |
| 御所泉 | 武内酒造店 |
| 谷泉 | 鶴野酒造店 |
| 池月 | 鳥屋酒造 |
| 能登末廣 | 中島酒造店 |
| 金澤中村屋 | 中村酒造 |
| 春心 | 西出酒造 |
| 奥能登の白菊 | 白藤酒造 |
| 神泉 | 東酒造 |
| 金瓢白駒 | 日吉酒造店 |
| 加賀鳶 | 福光屋 |
| 獅子の里 | 松浦酒造 |
| 大江山 | 松波酒造 |
| 遊穂 | 御祖酒造 |
| 夢醸 | 宮本酒造店 |
| 加賀鶴 | やちや酒造 |
| 手取川 | 吉田酒造店 |
The 31 restaurants and food groups
The food side covers sushi, tempura, Chinese, meat, cheese, oden and more, plus local associations such as a group that preserves Kaga cuisine. Names are listed as announced.
| 芽吹食堂 | ふらっと&CREW | てらおか風舎 |
| オーベルジュレゾナンス | すし あいじ | 鮨みつ川 |
| 八郎すし | 酒と人情料理 いたる | 金沢芽生会 |
| 天ぷら小泉 | iomare | 日々魚数寄 東木 |
| ARU | NIKUO中谷精肉店 | 食道 月 |
| FIL D‘OR | PES | 中國菜 西華房 |
| チーズ工房 ミモレット | 六星 | 米心石川 |
| 酒の遊 鈴おき | 石川バーテンダーズ | 鳥串 たまや |
| おでん ちくわ | Meal | みなと |
| カナカン | OTOMOGASHI おともがし | BONEARTH FOOD MARKET |
| 加賀料理技術保存会 |
Why this festival supports Noto
Several breweries in the Noto area were damaged by the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and the Oku-Noto heavy rain. Since last year, Sake Marche has made support for these breweries its theme, and the organizers describe it as a stepping stone toward recovery.
In practice, that support comes in three forms: part of the event’s proceeds goes to rebuilding Noto’s breweries, Noto breweries and restaurants are among the stalls, and there are donation boxes on site. Drinking a glass of Noto sake here is a direct way to help.
Tips for the day
- Leave the car at home. This is a drinking event, and the organizers ask everyone not to drink and drive. Public transport is the way to go, which is why the app bundle with the one-day bus pass exists.
- Under 20s cannot drink. The legal drinking age in Japan is 20, and the organizers say they will firmly refuse alcohol to anyone younger.
- Dress for the weather. The venue is outdoors and the event goes ahead even if it rains.
- Buy early to pay less. The same booklet costs more on the day, so an advance ticket makes sense if you already know you are going.
Coming from farther away? If you are flying in, our guide to JAL’s domestic flash sales explains how those short sale windows work. For rail fans, see how the Aki no Norihodai Pass for JR local trains works and check whether it fits your route. Staying the night? Our summary of the current Marriott Bonvoy promotion may help you earn points on the stay. And if you enjoy outdoor festivals, the Shibaura Canal Festival with free canal cruises is another autumn event on our list.
FAQ
- Q. Is entry to Sake Marche free?
- Yes. Entry is free. To buy sake or food inside the venue, you need the Marche food and drink tickets.
- Q. How much are the tickets?
- A booklet of 22 tickets with a glass costs ¥4,000 in advance and ¥4,500 on the day.
- Q. Where can I buy advance tickets?
- At Ticket Pia, e+ and Lawson Ticket through 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson stores, and at participating restaurants, participating breweries, partner liquor shops, partner restaurants and the Sake Marche Executive Committee.
- Q. Will it go ahead if it rains?
- Yes. The event is held rain or shine.
- Q. What is the U29 offer?
- Visitors aged 20 to 29 can try each brewery’s recommended bottle at a special price.
- Q. Can I buy the ticket in the Norimasshi Kanazawa app?
- Only as a set with a one-day Kanazawa Shopping Bus pass. The app does not sell the advance ticket on its own.
Contact and official information
Questions about the event go to the Sake Marche Executive Committee, based at the Ishikawa Prefecture Sake Brewers Association.
- Phone: 076-251-2115 (Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00)
- Email: [email protected]
- Official website: sakemarche.jp
- Press release: Sake Marche announcement (Japanese)
Co-organized by Shiinoki Geihinkan, with support from local media including the Hokkoku Shimbun, MRO Hokuriku Broadcasting, Ishikawa TV, TV Kanazawa and HAB Hokuriku Asahi Broadcasting. Details can change, so check the official site before heading out.