Written by Aarohi Narain
Two days, four sessions, and more bottles than your liver wants you to acknowledge — Yokohama hosts Japan’s biggest whisky and spirits tasting festival.
What happens?
Run by the Whisky Culture Institute, this festival pulls together around 90 producers, importers, and bars covering whisky, gin, shōchū, and awamori.
Japanese distilleries sit alongside international names. Most booths offer free tastings, with some rare or premium bottles available for an extra fee. Many exhibitors are producers themselves, so it’s a good chance to chat, ask questions, and discover bottles you might not normally encounter.
If you want to go deeper, tasting seminars run throughout the weekend.
Schedule
On both days, the festival will run in two sessions, with the first from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the second from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Tickets
Tickets cost ¥5,000 and will go on sale on February 10 at noon via the official website.
Your ticket covers entry and most tastings. Rare or high-end bottles may cost extra. Seminar tickets are sold separately and require a valid entry ticket for the same day.
How to get there
The event takes place at Pacifico Yokohama (Exhibition Hall D), about 5 minutes on foot from Minatomirai Station or 10 minutes from Sakuragicho Station.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.Add to Calendar
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Adults:
At the door: ¥5,000
