Sanwa Shurui held iichiko Design Week 2024 in Tokyo’s Shibuya district in October 2024 to commemorate 40 years of the brand design for honkaku barely shochu iichiko. At the reception the day before, iichiko Saiten’s release in Japan was announced. During iichiko Design Week, top global bartenders mixed and served cocktails with iichiko Saiten and other iichiko products.
（The bottle pictured bears the previous design. The current product may have a different label or shape.）
Text: Norimasa Takeuchi / Photography: Koichi Mitsui, Shiho Katsura, Kayoko Nemoto /
Composition: Contentsbrain / English Translation: LIBER
Announcement on Japan Release of iichiko Saiten
iichiko Design Week 2024, a major five-day exhibition, was held in Tokyo’s Shibuya district in October 2024. The event showcased the brand value and message of iichiko, Sanwa Shurui’s honkaku barley shochu, through exhibits on iichiko design, including train station posters and TV commercials. There were also bottle designs on display that express the character in the wide selection of products, tasting sessions, and discussion panels.
Signage around Shibuya Station built excitement for the event.
The day before the event, the Japan release of iichiko Saiten was announced at a reception for bar and restaurant industry insiders and the press.
Sanwa Shurui President Kazunori Nishi kicked off the party with an opening speech, where he discussed the concept behind the new product.
Sanwa Shurui President Kazunori Nishi gives the opening speech at the reception for iichiko Design Week 2024.
“I think that shochu, a distilled spirit that brings together the culture and the techniques of traditional Japanese sake brewing with koji, should redefine itself. There are many distilled spirits with global recognition, such as whisky, brandy, rum, vodka, gin, and tequila, but the time has come for shochu to establish its place among them. Now is the time to show the world what value spirits made with koji have.”
After Nishi’s speech, Tetsuro Miyazaki, Manager of the Global Marketing Division in Sanwa Shurui’s Sales Department, took the stage. He announced that honkaku barley shochu iichiko Saiten, which is already available in U.S. bars, will be released in Japan in 2025. He also explained the story behind the product’s development prior to its U.S. launch.
Miyazaki discusses iichiko’s global value during a video presentation.
Compared to Japanese whisky and sake, shochu export volume to the U.S. has remained low for the past 40 years. This is due to the different drinking cultures in Japan and the U.S. In Japan, sake, beer, and shochu are imbibed with meals, while in the States, fermented alcoholic beverages such as sake and wine are enjoyed with meals, and distilled spirits such as whisky, vodka, and tequila are consumed at bars. That’s why Sanwa Shurui started developing a new product to promote among patrons at bars, where distilled spirits are primarily consumed in the U.S., about ways to enjoy honkaku shochu.
This led to the 2019 launch of iichiko Saiten in the U.S. With an ABV of 43%, the product expands the definition of shochu, which typically has an ABV of 20-25%. The product developed a strong personality that holds its own as a cocktail base.
In 2020, iichiko Saiten became the first traditional Asian distilled spirit nominated for the top ten in the Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient category at the Tales of the Cocktail® Spirited Awards. As a result, Sanwa Shurui’s share of honkaku shochu exports to the U.S. has continued to grow since 2019, reaching approximately 65% by 2023—the top share in the market.
Miyazaki also talked about the new iichiko Saiten design. He announced, “In 2025, iichiko Saiten will be redesigned for bartenders’ convenience and to be more eye-catching in bars.” On the stage, he unveiled to the gathered audience the new bottle for iichiko Saiten, the first in a new line of spirits promoting iichiko, the honkaku barley shochu made from koji, the national fungus of Japan.
Miyazaki holds the new iichiko Saiten bottle in his right hand.
A Dream Team of Top Bartenders
After the reception, the iichiko Special Bar, a pop-up bar, opened in the Experience iichiko exhibition area. On this day, prior to the official start of the event, a special limited-edition bar, Angel’s Story x iichiko Saiten, served cocktails made with iichiko Saiten as the base.
At the bar counter were Beverage Director Atsushi Nakayama and Head Bartender Tsunetaka Imada from Angel’s Share, the legendary New York bar that has earned worldwide respect as a pioneer among Japanese-style bars.
Angel’s Share Beverage Director Atsushi Nakayama
Angel’s Share Head Bartender Tsunetaka Imada
Sunnyside Lane (iichiko Saiten, mate tea, guava puree, coconut water, red miso, honey, lemon, yogurt)
There were also special guest bartenders, including Shingo Gokan, founder of the internationally renowned SG Group, who got his start at Angel’s Share, and Takuma Watanabe, who runs Martiny’s and two other popular bars in New York. This “Angel’s Story” was a dream team between current and former Angel’s Share bartenders. Angel’s Share owner Erina Yoshida also flew in from New York to watch the bartenders work their magic.
Shingo Gokan, top bartender and founder of SG Group. He moved to the U.S. in 2006, where he served as head bartender and bar manager at Angel’s Share.
Shinny Tomato Tree (iichiko Saiten, Shine Muscat, tomato, dill, mastiha)
After serving as head bartender at Angel’s Share, Takuma Watanabe went independent in 2022. He now runs three New York bars, including Martiny’s.
Maia in Shibuya (iichiko Saiten, yuzu, pineapple, basil syrup, basil garnish)
Angel’s Share owner Erina Yoshida also attended the event.
From left: Tsunetaka Imada (Angel’s Share), Atsushi Nakayama (Angel’s Share), Shingo Gokan (SG Group founder), Takuma Watanabe (Martiny’s owner-bartender)
A Daily Rotating Cast of Exclusive Cocktails Mixed with iichiko
When the event kicked off the next day, fans of iichiko and iichiko design began visiting the venue. The main exhibition consisted of three areas: “Say hi to iichiko,” “Get to know iichiko,” and “Experience iichiko.” Visitors were entertained by installations providing a full sensory experience of iichiko’s allures.
The “Say hi to iichiko” area had a curated selection of iichiko posters from years past that represent iichiko design.
The “Get to know iichiko” area exhibited different iichiko bottles and enlarged photos of them to convey the design philosophy behind their characteristic designs.
Visitors to the “Experience iichiko” area could experience iichiko in a new way. Projectors displayed images of water on the ceiling and walls that evoked the mood of a sake brewery, while monitors showed a series of iichiko posters advertisements, inviting visitors into the world of iichiko.
A fantastical space offered a new way to experience the act of imbibing iichiko.
One corner of this area had the iichiko Special Bar, a pop-up bar. Every day, a different crew of skilled bartenders came to serve original cocktails mixed with an iichiko base, including iichiko Saiten. It was a popular spot where visitors lined up for a cocktail every day.
Each day, a different crew of skilled bartenders made guest appearances to serve cocktails at the iichiko Special Bar.
Takuya Maruyama, a bartender at Hibiya Bar, put in a shift on October 8.
Aries (iichiko Saiten, elderflower liqueur, pineapple juice, soda, tonic water, Blue Curaçao syrup)
“Happiness” (iichiko FRASCO, mango juice, sugarcane syrup, shiso leaf)
Atsushi Nakayama, the beverage director at Angel’s Share, was in charge on October 9.
Angel’s Share Head Bartender Tsunetaka Imada
Sunnyside Lane (iichiko Saiten, mate tea, guava puree, coconut water, red miso, honey, lemon, yogurt)
A Foggy Day (iichiko PERSON, grapefruit, osmanthus, lemon)
Martiny’s owner-bartender Takuma Watanabe ran the bar on October 10.
Mule (iichiko Saiten [Curry Saiten], apple, lemon, ginger ale, bay leaf, olive)
Caprese (iichiko Silhouette, tomato water, grapefruit juice, basil syrup, lime, milk)
Ryota Tokumitsu, head bartender at The SG Club, took over on October 11.
Dirty Mont Blanc (iichiko Saiten, cognac, chestnuts, mirin, doburoku)
Super Highball (iichiko SUPER, cacao, soba, soda)
Hiroyasu Kayama, owner-bartender at Bar BenFiddich, ran the bar on October 12.
Wheat apricot bitters (iichiko Saiten, apricot bitters, dried apricot)
Black Soybean iichiko (iichiko Special, sake and sweet red bean paste [anko] surface liquid, sansho pepper, black beans)
iichiko Design Week 2024 was an exhibition for reviewing the history of honkaku barley shochu iichiko and looking ahead to its future. By showcasing not only the drinking experience but also the stories behind its advertising, bottle design, and craftsmanship, the event introduced visitors to the deeper appeal of iichiko. The announcement of iichiko Saiten’s Japan launch at the reception party symbolized Sanwa Shurui’s current stance―redefining the value of honkaku shochu and opening up a future in the global spirits market.