Categories
GENERAL
Q1Who is the organizer?
The organizer is Wine and Spirits Culture Association. Yumi Tanabe is the president of the awards.
https://www.sakuraaward.com/en/about.html Q2What percentage of the total entry win the awards?
The percentage of award-winning wines is about 45% to 60% of the total entries. In 2024 (the 11th edition), the percentage of winning wines was 60.8% of the total number of entries.
Q3How much is the Entry Fee?
It is 24,200.00JPY per wine entry (10% tax included).
There are early bird and volume discounts. Q4What are the benefits of winning “SAKURA” Japan Women's Wine Awards?
We work with our media partners to distribute the results to the trade, and our sales partners will help promote the Award winning wines broadly.
The winners are showcased at our booth at various trade shows. We work with various retail outlets to promote sales of the award winning wines by creating the [“SAKURA” Japan Women's Wine Awards Wine Sales Fairs］ throughout Japan.
We also promote through social media for consumers.
Q5Does SAKURA AWARDS organize a competition for other beverages than wines?
We do not organize any competitions for alcoholic beverages other than wine.
Q6What will be presented to the award winners?
We issue an award certificate and use of our medals at no cost for their marketing materials.
Q7Where are the award winning wines sold?
We promote the award-winning wines to major supermarkets, department stores, wine shops, online shopping websites and mail-order companies. We help to create wine events at these places to feature the award-winning wines.
We also seek restaurants to purchase the award-winning wines and include them in their wine menu.
Q8What benefit will the award-winning wines, which are not imported, receive?
All winning wines will be posted on the “SAKURA” Japan Women's Wine Awards official website. We offer wineries that are not currently imported in Japan the opportunity to be discovered by top wine buyers.
We also have tasting events inviting importers to sample them.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/sakuraaward/photos/?tab=album&album_id=3475989269093480 Q9What is “SAKURA” Sales Support Shops and Restaurants?
On our website, there is a list of shops and restaurants throughout Japan, who actively sell and promote “SAKURA” award-winning wines.
It is beneficial to be on the “SAKURA” Sales Support Shops and Restaurants list.
The registration is available on our website for free.
http://www.sakuraaward.com/en/sales/sales.html
ENTRY(ID, MyPage, Password)
Q1What kind of information is required to register on MyPage?
Information of the company which submits the entry is required. (Company name, contact person, phone number, email address, company address, etc.) All the information we receive will be used only for the communication purposes participating in this competition (examination committee). For more information, please check our
privacy policy.
http://www.sakuraaward.com/en/privacy.html Q2For what purpose do we use MyPage?
On MyPage, you can register your company information, pay your entry fee, register and modify your wine information, download the OUTER CARTON, and download a PDF of the medal logo and diploma for your award-winning wine. Please keep your ID and password for MyPage login.
http://www.sakuraaward.com/en/entry/entry.html Q3May I cancel my entry?
The number of items can be changed before the payment of the entry fee.
No cancellations or refunds will be accepted after the payment.
If the planned wine is not available anymore, we kindly ask you to enter another wine instead.
Q4Is it possible to add items after completing the payment process?
To add items, there is an 'Add items' button at the bottom of the number of items section of 'MyPage' tab on the login page.
You can add items by clicking the button.
Q5What if I forgot my password?
Please click “If you don't remember your Password” link and follow the steps. You will receive the new password to your registered Email address.
Q6Can I change my password?
Yes, please login to MyPage and click the Company Information tab, then you can change your password.
Q7By mistake, I made several IDs. What should I do?
Please send us the ID you don't need by Email. We will take care of it.
email Q8Is it possible to change the registered company information?
By November 30th, you can change on MyPage.
After December 1st, please send
email to “SAKURA” Japan Women’s Wine Awards Office.
Q9I’m trying to enter the company information, but I keep getting the error message and can’t go to the next page. What am I doing wrong?
Please use capital letters (A to Z), numbers (0 to 9), hyphens (-), underscores (_), commas (,), and periods (.).
*Lowercase letters and special characters cannot be used.
Q10Why is MyPage locked?
MyPage will be locked if the payment is not made by due date.
The due date is two weeks after your registration.
Please send an
email to “SAKURA” Japan Women’s Wine Awards Office.
PAYMENT
Q1How would I know if the entry fee was accepted?
It will take time for bank to confirm your payment, so please make sure to send us an email with your Bank Slip attached.
We will confirm your payment by receiving the Bank Slip.
Q2How much is the Entry Fee?
It is 24,200.00JPY per wine entry (10% tax included).
There are early bird and volume discounts. Q3How can I get an invoice and receipt for the entry fee?
Yes. You can download them on MyPage.
Q4Is it possible to pay by one account when I would like to register wines under different company names?
It is only possible to make a payment by one account each.
In that case, please create a new account with a different ID name.
Q5May I cancel my entry?
The number of items can be changed before the payment of the entry fee.
No cancellations or refunds will be accepted after the payment.
If the planned wine is not available anymore, we kindly ask you to enter another wine instead.
Q6I need an invoice in other currency than JPY.
Due to the exchange instability, the amount for bank transfer will be shown only in JPY.
Fixed exchanging rate and individualized services are also difficult to provide.
If you wish to know the total amount in your currency, please ask at the nearest bank.
Thank you for your understanding.
Q7There is an error message occurring for credit card payment.
We are sorry for the inconvenience.
We kindly ask you to confirm the conditions below.
・The limit of usage is enough
・Credit card, not a debit card
・Enter the correct expiration date
・Refresh payment link from MyPage every time you try
Also, it is possible that there is a security block, please contact your bank to find if there’s a problem with your account.
If you're still having issues, kindly try to pay in JPY.
Q8What is the IBAN Number for the SAKURA AWARD's bank account?
In Japan, instead of IBAN Number, we use SWIFT code which is "BOTKJPJT".
If your bank asks you "11 digits", please use "BOTKJPJT***".
WINE REGISTRATION
Q1Can I add items after the payment?
You can proceed on MyPage.
If you wish to add items after the payment, please click on the 'Add items' button from the 'MyPage' tab on the login page.
The procedure thereafter is the same as for the first entry.
Please note that no refunds will be made for the reductions in the number of items after payment has been completed.
Q2I cannot enter wine information.
You can enter wine information after we confirm your payment.
In the case of bank transfer, please send us the copy of bank slip by email. After we receive it, we will send you an e-mail for the confirmation.
Q3Is it necessary to fill in all the wine information?
Yes, all the information is necessary for us to make accurate and fair judgements.
Q4Why am I getting error messages when typing the wine information?
Please use capital letters only (A to Z), numbers (0 to 9), hyphens (-), underscores (_), commas (,), and periods (.).
* Lowercase letters and special characters cannot be used.
Q5Is it possible to change the wine information I have already registered?
Yes, you can change the wine information on MyPage until November 30, 2021.
After December 1, 2021, please send an Email to SAKURA AWARDS Office.
Also, even before November 30, 2021, after you have arranged the samples to be sent and the warehouse inspection is completed, you will not be able to re-edit the wine information.
If you wish to change wine information after the inspection, please send an Email to SAKURA AWARDS office.
entry@sakuraaward.com Q6Is it possible to submit the same wine entered last year?
Yes, it is possible to submit the same wine as last year.
Q7What price range is suitable for the entry?
There is no specific rules. However, we recommend wines with a suggested retail price of JPY 1,500-5,000.
Q8Do you only accept wines produced by female winemakers?
No, we have no such regulations.
We are welcome all the wines produced by female and male winemakers.
Q9Do you accept wines made from other fruits such as peach or strawberry? How about aromatized wines?
No, we only accept wines made from 100% grapes.
http://www.sakuraaward.com/en/entry/rules.html Q10What is the standard for residual sugar content in the sweet wine category?
If the residual sugar content is more than 45g/ℓ, please register it in the sweet wine category.
Q11We do not have import agent in Japan. Can we entry?
Absolutely! You are more than welcome to join us.
All winning wines will be posted on the Sakura Award official website and we send our official books to the trade.
For those without importers, we have tasting events for importers to sample and encourage them to take on importation and distribution.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/sakuraaward/photos/?tab=album&album_id=3475989269093480 Q12Do I need to enter both of the EXC price and the suggested retail price?
If you know the retail price in Japan or in your country, it is not necessary to put the EXC price.
So please put "0" in the cell.
If you do not know the retail price in Japan, please put EXC price or enter "suggested retail price in your country".
SAMPLE DELIVERY
Q1Where should I send the samples?
Please check below for the sample delivery address.
◆Delivery address
SEIWA KAIUN CO., LTD
29-5, HIGASHIOHGISHIMA, KAWASAKI-KU, KAWASAKI, KANAGAWA
210-0869, JAPAN TEL: +81-44-287-0921 PIC: MS. KUBOTA
Importer: WINE & SPIRITS CULTURE ASSOCIATION
http://www.sakuraaward.com/en/entry/sample.html Q2How many samples are required per entry?
We are asking participants to send 2 bottles per item.
http://www.sakuraaward.com/en/entry/sample.html Q3How can I find out if my sample was successfully delivered?
You can find out on MyPage.
We will update the information when we receive the package.
Q4Do I have to pay the customs duty?
No, you do not have to pay the customs duty.
Please write
“Samples, No Commercial Value” in your invoice and OUTER CARTON.
http://www.sakuraaward.com/en/entry/sample.html Q5Who is the importer when we ship the samples?
In the field of importer on your invoice, please write:
Importer: Wine and Spirits Culture Association
Address: Akasaka Office Heights Bldg. 4-13-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 Japan
TEL: 03-6229-1727
Q6Do you accept wines without a label or barrel sample?
Yes, you can send raw samples without official labels.
In that case, please put the sample label or barrel samples with all the necessary information such as winery, name of the wine, vintage and so on.
It is possible with hand writing. You may write the new vintage over the old etiquette by hand.
JUDGEMENT
Q1How many judges will be there, and what are their qualifications?
The total number of judges is approximately 500 to 600.
The criteria for the judges are as follows:
(1) Female Japanese or foreigner who work in Japan.
(2) Sommeliers, winemakers, wine lecturers, wine journalists, wine importers, wine distributors, wine stores, and other wine and liquor related professionals, and wine experts (qualified).
In addition, some special judges.
Q2How is judging conducted?
Judging is conducted by panels of five judges.
Each panel includes a trained Panel Captain to facilitate the judging process and record keeping integrity.
The wines will be tasted blind by
the category and grape variety. The judges will know (1) varietals, (2)vintage, (3)residual sugar (4) barrel aging if applicable. The judges will give each wine an individual score using the 100 point scale.
http://www.sakuraaward.com/en/outline.html Q3How is Best Pairing Wine for Cuisine conducted? Do they actually taste with food?
No. The judges select the dish written on the score sheet, which they think the most suitable for the wine. (Target: Diamond Trophy, Double Gold, Gold Award)
http://www.sakuraaward.com/en/outline.html Q4How will Bio and Sustainable wine be judged and evaluated?
We will focus on Bio Wine (organic farming, biodynamic, sustainable, vegan, etc.). However, we will not judge bio wine separately at the judging session.
The wine category
After the awarded wines are selected, we will announce Awarded Bio Wine on our official website. We will reconfirm the information submitted at the entry and publish them. The procedure is as follows;
*We will confirm to the importers if the wine has been already in Japanese market.
*If the wine is not in Japanese market yet, or the open market wines, they will be listed based on the entry information.
Q5Is it possible to visit the judging site?
The judgement event is open to the press and anyone in the wine industry. You will be able to see how the judging process is actually carried out. Please register from the press application window on the Sakura Award official website.
