The Whisky Culture Research Institute is opening applications from Wednesday, October 7, 2026, for limited original bottles commemorating "Whisky Festival 2026 in Tokyo," a large-scale whisky tasting event the institute will hold that November at Tokyo International Forum. Applications close at 5:00 PM on Monday, October 19. Only people holding an admission ticket to the event may apply, and if applications for a bottle exceed the number available, a lottery will be held after the deadline.
Web page: https://whiskyfestival.jp/tokyo2026/pickup/#16842
Labels shown are still in production and may change.
Five Limited Original Bottles
With the cooperation of five Japanese distilleries and importers, five limited original whiskies have been prepared for the event. Whisky Culture Research Institute representative Mamoru Tsuchiya selected all of the casks, and every bottle is single cask, cask strength.
The four Japanese whiskies (Komagatake, Yamaga, 新里, Chichibu) are private bottlings from the institute's "Hyakunin Isshu Series," using labels based on woodblock prints created by printmaker Tomoko Watanabe depicting verses from the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu anthology (※1); the labels are exclusive to this event.
The Taiwanese whisky, Kavalan, carries a Whisky Culture Research Institute original label.
All five original whiskies are being sold exclusively to holders of admission tickets to "Whisky Festival 2026 in Tokyo."
(※1) The Ogura Hyakunin Isshu is a collection of one hundred poems said to have been selected by the court noble Fujiwara no Teika at his villa on Mt. Ogura in Kyoto, active from the late Heian to early Kamakura period.
Product Details
A. Komagatake 2019, 6 Year
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 63%
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon barrel
Label: Hyakunin Isshu Series 014, 河原左大臣
Cask strength / lightly peated
Bottles available: 200
Price: ¥16,500 (tax included) → ¥17,830 (tax included) with shipping and COD fee
B. Yamaga 2022, 4 Year
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 58%
Cask type: Bourbon barrel
Label: Hyakunin Isshu Series 015, 光孝天皇
Cask strength / non-peated
Bottles available: 210
Price: ¥16,500 (tax included) → ¥17,830 (tax included) with shipping and COD fee
C. Ryuka 2023, 3 Year
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 65%
Cask type: Oloroso sherry butt
Label: Hyakunin Isshu Series 016, 中納言行平
Cask strength / non-peated
Bottles available: 80
Price: ¥19,800 (tax included) → ¥21,130 (tax included) with shipping and COD fee
D. Chichibu 2017, 9 Year
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 64%
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon barrel
Label: Hyakunin Isshu Series 017, 在原業平朝臣
Cask strength / non-peated
Bottles available: 145
Price: ¥24,200 (tax included) → ¥25,530 (tax included) with shipping and COD fee
E. Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Cask
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 54.8%
Cask type: Fino sherry cask
Label: Whisky Culture Research Institute original label
Cask strength / non-peated
Bottles available: 400
Price: ¥44,000 (tax included) → ¥45,330 (tax included) with shipping and COD fee
How to Apply (Overview)
How to apply
Display your admission ticket (digital ticket) and tap "Apply to purchase a bottle" on the ticket screen. Applying requires entering the "purchase number" printed on the ticket.
Each admission ticket allows one application per session. Anyone holding tickets to multiple sessions may apply once for each session.
If you purchased multiple admission tickets for one session and distribute them to others, the recipients may also apply from the digital tickets they receive. If multiple tickets for one session are purchased but not distributed, only the original ticket buyer may apply, and only once.
Applications close at 5:00 PM on Monday, October 19. After the deadline, the event office will review applications, and for any bottle where applications exceed the number available, a lottery will be held.
An email notifying all applicants of their confirmed purchase (lottery result) will be sent on Thursday, October 22.
Notes
- Applying requires entering the "purchase number" printed on the ticket; please use the "copy number" button.
- A ticket cannot be distributed from one person to themselves.
- Payment is by cash on delivery at the time of receipt, plus a shipping and COD fee of ¥1,330 (tax included). Bottles are shipped individually even when multiple are purchased, so the shipping and COD fee applies to each one separately.
- Applications found to involve fraud will be voided.
- Applications made for resale purposes are strictly refused.
- Applications may be edited (changed or canceled) via Google Forms during the application period.
- No changes or cancellations can be accepted after the purchase confirmation (lottery result) email has been sent.
- Inquiries about lottery results for oversubscribed bottles cannot be answered.
- Shipping is limited to destinations within Japan (no overseas shipping). Even within Japan, bottles cannot be shipped to hotels or other accommodations, or to facilities unable to receive cash-on-delivery shipments.
Sales schedule
Limited sale announcement (email): from noon on Wednesday, October 7 — sent to everyone holding a ticket at the time of the email
Application period: from noon on Wednesday, October 7 to 5:00 PM on Monday, October 19
Purchase confirmation (lottery result) email: Thursday, October 22
Shipping: dispatched sequentially between Monday, October 26 and Wednesday, October 28
Event Overview
Event name: Whisky Festival 2026 in Tokyo
https://whiskyfestival.jp/tokyo2026/
Date and time: Friday, November 6, 2026 — Premium Night, 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 7 — Part 1, 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM / Part 2, 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Three sessions total, with complete changeover of attendees between sessions
Venue: Tokyo International Forum, Hall E
3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005
https://whiskyfestival.jp/tokyo2026/access/
Admission: Premium Night ¥3,500 (tax included); Part 1 and Part 2, ¥5,000 each (tax included)
Capacity: limited to 2,200 people per session (approximately 6,600 total across the two days)
Exhibitors: approximately 124 companies (as of September 2026)
Organized, planned, and run by: Whisky Culture Research Institute
About Whisky Festival
Whisky Festival is a large-scale tasting event bringing together whiskies and spirits from around the world.
At the Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka venues, around 80 to 100 distilleries, makers, importers, retailers, and bars exhibit booths from Japan and overseas. Each booth offers a variety of whiskies for free or paid tasting, along with food and goods to purchase. The event welcomes anyone aged 20 or over and is open to all whisky and spirits fans. Whisky Festival began in 2007, and alongside the regularly held "Whisky Festival in Tokyo" and "Whisky Festival in Osaka," it has expanded over the years with themed events such as the "Bourbon & American Whisky Festival" and "Bottlers Whisky Festival," as well as events held in response to regional demand in Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Nagano, and Kiyosato. Since 2024, the event has also included the "Whisky & Spirits Festival in Yokohama," covering spirits from around the world in addition to whisky. The festival will hold its first Matsumoto event in 2027.
Nearly 80% of the whiskies and spirits at exhibitor booths can be tasted for free; some rare, higher-value whiskies require payment. Food and goods are sold separately. Tasting items vary by exhibitor.
