What is SAKURA AWARDS?
The Biggest International Wine Competition in Asia
Message from Yumi Tanabe, president of “SAKURA” Japan Women’s Wine Awards
Now in its 12th year, SAKURA AWARDS have been aiming to "find wines that go well with Japanese food culture", "increase wine consumption", and "expand opportunities for women working in the wine industry". Thanks to everyone’s support, the award-winning wines have been well received by consumers and are steadily gaining recognition.
In particular, The Best Pairing with Japanese and Asian Cuisine, which responds to consumer needs, has become a hot topic of discussion as a unique award that can only be found at SAKURA AWARDS.
The results of the judging by women in Japan are highly trusted by producers, and since the third year we have been receiving more than 4,000 entries. In addition, the numbers of entries from BIO wines and sustainable wines, which are of great interest to consumers, and from Eastern Europe, which is still unfamiliar to Japan, are increasing.
SAKURA AWARDS will continue to move into the future with the aim of contributing to the development of wine culture.
Trade Only - Female Blind Judging Panel
This competition has been judged exclusively by female wine specialists, namely sommeliers, winemakers, wine school educators, journalists, restaurant and beverage directors, retail store buyers, importers and distributors.
The 11th “SAKURA” Japan Women’s Wine Awards
In 2024, the total entry of 4,023 wines were entered from 27 countries. This unique competition evaluating wines from all over the world from a woman’s perspective has garnered interest globally and has set a new precedent for wine competitions.
The 100 point scale was used for selecting Double Gold, Gold and Silver medals.
Our mission consists of three pillars; 
Our judges are female experts who lead broad range of wine industries in Japan. Sommeliers, producers, school instructors, journalists, importers, distributors and sales, they are all active female professionals in wine industries.
Many wine distributors join us as registered sales partners and help promote the Award winning wines broadly with the full understanding of our activity. Through distribution, retail and whole sales, they are contributing the sales of the awarded wines throughout Japan. The registration is free of charge.
Diamond, Double Gold, Gold and Silver medal stickers are available through our partner company "TENPRINT., Ltd.". They help highlight the award that the wine has earned on the shelves and in various internet shopping sites.