Top 3 Decided! Delicious Honey Contest "9th Honey of the Year" 2026 - Grand Prize and Visitor Special Award to be Announced on August 3rd

The Japan Honey Meister Association (Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Chikage Kawamura), which operates honey certification and courses, will hold the "9th Honey of the Year" contest to select delicious honey, coinciding with Honey Day (August 3rd).

From a total of 171 recommended and entered items (91 domestic, 54 overseas, 26 Japanese native bee honey), the top 3 items for the final judging in the domestic, overseas, and Japanese native bee categories have been decided.

Honey Advancing to the Final Judging

Product Name/Seller (Harvest Location in Parentheses)

[Domestic Category]

Domestic Category

From the left in the photo:

・Posumitsu / Geshi no Koro Rokugatsu (Kanagawa Prefecture)

Japan Post Co., Ltd. Aobadai Post Office

・Kuko Honey (Shimane Prefecture)

Iwami Airport Terminal Building Co., Ltd.

・MARUCHO FARM Apple Honey (Fukushima Prefecture)

MARUCHO FARM Co., Ltd.

*All 3 items will be sold on consignment (weekends only) at the visitor voting booth during "Honey Festa 2026".

[Overseas Category]

Overseas Category

From the left in the photo:

・HONEY ViVa Avocado (Taiwan)

Toa-en Co., Ltd.

・Longan Honey (Taiwan)

Nana Honey

・Tasmanian Christmas Bush Honey (Australia)

Fuji Trading LLC

*Tasmanian Christmas Bush Honey will be sold on consignment (weekends only) at the visitor voting booth during "Honey Festa 2026".

*The other 2 items will be sold at the "Honey Festa 2026" exhibition.

[Japanese Native Bee Category]

Japanese Native Bee Category

From the left in the photo:

・Takao Mitsu SPRING (Tokyo)

Takao Apiary

・Aki no Kuni Satoyama no Shizuku (Hiroshima Prefecture)

Hiraki Apiary

・Iwami-san Nihon Mitsubachi Junsu Hachimitsu (Shimane Prefecture)

Iwami to

*Takao Mitsu and Nihon Mitsubachi Junsu Hachimitsu will be sold on consignment (weekends only) at the visitor voting booth during "Honey Festa 2026".

*Aki no Kuni Satoyama no Shizuku will be sold at the "Honey Festa 2026" exhibition.

Visitor Tasting and Voting at Honey Festa 2026 (Weekends Only)

During "Honey Festa 2026" held at Ginza Phoenix Plaza (2-3F, 3-9-11 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Paper & Pulp Hall), 80 visitors per day on July 25th (Sat) - 26th (Sun) will taste the honey and vote for one item they find most delicious in each category (same-day, time-specific numbered tickets will be distributed). Each category's most popular honey will be awarded the [Visitor Special Award].

Additionally, honey can be purchased at the "Honey Festa 2026" venue (excluding some items). *Limited quantities available. *Consigned items are only available on weekends.

Honey Festa 2026

Details on participating organizations, etc. can be found here.

Final Judging

[Date and Time] Judging will be conducted by sending honey to the judges in early July. [Final Judges (Honorifics omitted, Japanese alphabetical order)] ・Eiko Egami (Director, Egami Culinary Institute) ・Tadao Tanaka (Vice Chairman, NPO Ginza Bee Project) ・Hiroyuki Nozaki (Chef) ・Seiichi Shimada (Director, Japan Beekeeping Association) ・Chikage Kawamura (Representative Director, Japan Honey Meister Association) [Content]

Judging will be conducted by the final judges through tasting (evaluating aroma, flavor, and aftertaste).

The first place winner in each category will be announced as the "9th Honey of the Year Grand Prize".

Results Announcement

The Grand Prize and Visitor Special Award will be announced via news release and on the association's website on August 3rd (Monday), Honey Day.

Outline of the Delicious Honey Contest "9th Honey of the Year"

[Eligible Products] "Honey" available for purchase by consumers in Japan (details in the application article). [Recommenders] ・Japan Honey Meister Association certified advisors and instructors, who are honey qualification holders nationwide. ・Beekeepers and companies selling honey in Japan. (Additional fees may apply for recommendations by non-certified individuals). [Organizer] Japan Honey Meister Association [Contest Schedule] *All judging is blind (method where the product's origin is unknown).

Until April 27th [Completed]

Total 171 recommended and entered items (91 domestic / 54 overseas / 26 Japanese native bee)

Mid-May [Completed]

[1st Round Judging] Tasting by association officials.

Mid-June [Completed]

[2nd Round Judging] Tasting by 24 honey qualification holders of our association.

Mid-July

[Final Judging] Judging by food experts.

July 25th (Sat) - 26th (Sun)

Visitors to "Honey Festa 2026" will taste the top 3 items in each category and vote for the one they find most delicious (weekends only / 80 people per day, numbered tickets distributed). Venue: Ginza Phoenix Plaza.

August 3rd (Mon)

[Results Announcement] Posted on the website, etc.

The 1st place winner in each category from the final judges' tasting will be announced as the "9th Honey of the Year Grand Prize". The 1st place winner in each category with the highest evaluation from the "Honey Festa 2026" visitor votes will be announced as the "9th Honey of the Year Visitor Special Award".

<About the Japan Honey Meister Association> https://83m.info/ The association operates "Honey Qualifications" that cover a wide range of topics, from basic knowledge of bee ecology and nectar sources to cooking using honey, health, and beauty. They also offer experiential courses to express honey flavors verbally like a sommelier, and workshops to learn various ways to use honey in food and beauty (held online and in person). They also conduct honey training and workshop events at department stores, companies, and local governments. The "Honey Meister Training Course" was established in February 2009, and the Japan Honey Meister Association became a general incorporated association in May 2012. The "Honey Festa" for honey promotion has been held since 2013 and will be in its 11th year this year.