Diners Club Young Brewer Award 2026 Presented to Aihara Shuzo of Hiroshima

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Club, issuer of the Diners Club Card, presented the 'Diners Club Young Brewer Award' to Aihara Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture) at the SAKE COMPETITION 2026 ceremony held at Takanawa Gateway City, Tokyo, on June 10, 2026. The award honors the achievements of master brewer Shogo Aihara (33).

Established in 2016 to support young brewers responsible for the future of sake, this marks the 8th recipient of the award. Selected from 1,139 entries after a rigorous judging process, Aihara Shuzo was recognized for their achievement in winning 1st place in the Junmai Daiginjo category and 9th place in the Junmai Sake category. This is the first time a sake brewery from Western Japan has received this award.

SAKE COMPETITION, which began in 2012, is one of the world's largest sake competitions, featuring only commercially available products. Winners were announced on June 10 following preliminary and final screenings.

"This is an award that all young brewers across the country are aiming for, so I am truly happy to receive it," said award recipient Shogo Aihara. He also expressed his intention to incorporate AI into sake brewing starting next year.

Diners Club plans to support Aihara Shuzo through featured articles in its member magazine 'Signature' and sales via the dedicated website 'Hasegawa Saketen's Special Sake.'