The 12th Liquor Shop Kakuuchi Festival was held for three days from Friday, February 6 through Sunday, February 8, 2026, at Takenodai Square (Fountain Square) in Ueno Park.
The first day, Friday, was blessed with springlike weather, but a powerful cold wave arrived over the weekend.
Even so, large numbers of visitors gathered in search of great drinks.
Here is our report from the event.
Enjoying Drinks and Food
The Liquor Shop Kakuuchi Festival is a celebration of alcohol that brings liquor stores from Tokyo and around Japan together in Ueno.
This year again featured a free tasting corner for Tokyo sake, a drinks award, a fair-style area that children could enjoy, and booths selling event-related merchandise.
The food area was especially extensive this time, offering a wide variety of choices including appealing regional dishes, stylish foods that looked easy to pair with wine, and sweets.
At the event stage in the center of the venue, bands, quizzes and dance performances helped build the festive atmosphere around the drinks.
Sake was the main focus, but the lineup also covered beer, wine, shochu, sours, whisky and many other types of alcohol. Some visitors were not only comparing drinks but actively walking around in search of bottles and pours that would pair well with their food.
It was an appealing three days in which visitors could fully enjoy “drinks × food × entertainment.”
Japanese Wine Was Popular, Too
Although the Liquor Shop Kakuuchi Festival centers on sake, several booths also served wine.
One attraction is the opportunity to enjoy wines from around the world. Among the exhibitors, Kuramae liquor shop Kakuuchi Cafe Futaba focused mainly on Japanese wine.
At the previous event, the selection centered on Nagano winery Le Milieu, while this time many wines from Iwasaki Jozo in Yamanashi Prefecture were featured.
Alongside familiar varieties such as Muscat Bailey A, lesser-known grapes including Kai Noir and Adirondac drew particular attention, and visitors to the booth appeared highly curious.
Château Honjyo Adirondac was especially popular. Its striking profile as a slightly sweet wine generously using Adirondac, sometimes described as a “legendary grape variety,” made a strong impression.
Another characteristic of the festival is its Ueno Park location, which attracts many international visitors.
A noticeable number of international guests showed interest in Japanese wine and sampled a variety of styles.
A winemaker from Iwasaki Jozo also visited on Sunday, and many guests seemed to enjoy speaking directly with the producer.
Summary
Paid seating was introduced from the 12th Liquor Shop Kakuuchi Festival, giving visitors a chance to enjoy their drinks in warm, relaxed surroundings.
With snow flurries and cold weather over the weekend, mulled wine was a major hit at the Kakuuchi Cafe Futaba booth.
Some booths also served warm sake, and it was memorable to see guests enjoying a particularly wintery combination of piping-hot food with warm sake.
No matter the season or how cold it gets, drink lovers still want to discover and enjoy something delicious.
These three days reaffirmed that the Liquor Shop Kakuuchi Festival is a true celebration for serious drink fans.
There is plenty for Japanese wine fans to enjoy as well, so why not visit the next time the festival is held?
Reference
■ Official Website
https://kakufes.com/