Eight local sake breweries gather to enjoy Japan sake at the Chikugo Shichikoku Sake Cultural Expo on April 5—25 minutes from Hakata Shinkansen, on the lawn in front of the station
On Saturday, April 5, 2025, the "9th Chikugo Seven Kingdoms Sake Culture Expo" will be held on the lawn plaza in Chikugo Regional Park in Chikugo City, Fukuoka Prefecture, bringing together eight local sake breweries. It will be organized by the Kyushu Geibunkan and cooperated by JR Kyushu.
On the day of the event, under the theme of "Koi no Kuni ~Hitosomachi Chikugo~", 8 sake breweries in the Yabe River basin (Goto Sake Brewery, Asahimatsu Sake Brewery, Takahashi Shoten, Kitaya, Nishiyoshida Sake Brewery, Shochu, Wakaba Sake Brewery, Kikubijin Sake Brewery, and Tamamizu Sake Brewery) will participate, and a total of 41 brands will be available (including one shochu brewery).
The venue is around the lawn plaza of about 300 meters from Chikugo Funakoya Station, which faces the Yabe River and is located in Chikugo Regional Park, the first prefectural park in Japan, to the cultural facility Kyushu Art Museum. In case of rain, it will be held under the elevated railway of the station.
The feature of the event is a paid tasting system called "Geibunkan style". For 200~1000 yen per cup, participants can seriously select and taste one local sake at a time, and enjoy a conversation with the brewer. The organizers describe it as "the most beautiful Japan sake event in Japan."
At the food corner, delicious Chikugo delicacies such as pickled seafood from the Ariake Sea are gathered. In addition, two Oiran Dochu festivals are held during the event, fusing Japan sake with traditional culture.
Event tickets are 1,000 yen for both advance and same-day tickets, and advance tickets can be used for 1,100 yen. All of them come with a fun lottery ticket. The event will be held from 11:00~17:00. Access to the venue is about 25 minutes from Hakata Station to Chikugo Funakoya Station on the Kyushu Shinkansen.
Fukuoka Prefecture boasts the fifth largest number of sake breweries in Japan, with 30 sake breweries scattered in the Chikugo area alone. Chikugo Shichikoku is an area of Yame City, Chikugo City, Okawa City, and Miyama City, centered on Chikugo Funakoya Station, and is characterized by high-quality sake rice and developed rice milling technology from the Chikugo River and Yabe River basins.
Last year's event attracted 5,000 people. The organizers say, "We hope that local sake fans from outside the prefecture will gather by taking advantage of the easy access from Hakata, and we hope that Kyushu people will learn more about local Japan sake."
*The photo shows the 2024 event
