Event development & tastings
For corporate receptions, conferences and hotel programs. We design the format, select the beverages and plan service. Large-format sake tastings start at 50 guests.
Plan a group event
Event development & tastings in Japan
Bring people together over a good pour.
We design and host beverage experiences in Japan, from corporate tastings for 50+ guests to intimate private dinners.
Plan an event50+ guestsLarge-format sake tastings
500 guestsLargest event delivered
Intimate by designLuxury private dinners
01 / Events & Tastings
An event shaped around your guests.
We start with your guest count, budget, venue and purpose. Make it a Japanese cultural experience with sake as one part, or put the drinks at the center and build the cultural elements around them.
Luxury private dinners
An intimate format for a special dinner. We build the drink selection and guided experience around the menu, the room and the pace of the evening.
Discuss a private dinnerTasting staff
Already have a tasting plan? You can hire our event team to help run it. Staffing and responsibilities are scoped to the venue and format.
Ask about staffingSake expertise, a wider drinks table. Nihonshu, craft beer, cider, rum and other beverages can all be part of the brief.
Our portfolio of New Zealand wines and Japanese craft drinks, including award-winning Austeja cider, is in our online shop.
Two ways to build an experience
Culture first or drinks first.
Introduce guests to Japan through food and the stories behind the drinks, or build the program around a guided comparison. Tell us what you want guests to take away, and we’ll shape the event around it.
Talk through your briefWhat clients say
Several years, many events.
“The presentations by the Craft Instinct Japan team are just like the sake selections they chose: widely appealing, with a fascinating story, superbly enjoyable, and perfectly tailored to the palate of the recipient. We’ve worked with their team on a number of events over several years, and our clients have always been highly satisfied.”
James Kent, General Manager, The JTeam (destination management company)
02 / For makers & brands
Build the next product. Improve how you sell it.
Practical advice, on-site support and commissioned development for beverage and food businesses in Japan and overseas.
Product advisory for makers
Sharpen your product story and make it easier for customers to buy.
- International business development and product positioning
- Sales process and English/Japanese website reviews
- On-site checkout, ordering and reporting, with tools such as Stripe or Square where they fit
Product development
We work directly with a maker to develop a product for a client in Japan or overseas, whether it’s for an event or a limited release.
- Brief, maker selection, sampling, refinement and production coordination
- Nihonshu, cider, beer and rum, with wine considered selectively
- Past work includes the Anne sake release with Chiyonokame of Ehime and special releases for customer events
- Production seasons and minimum lots shape every plan
Japan market & import advisory
For overseas brands considering Japan. We help assess market fit and shape a practical first step.
- Market fit, positioning and routes to market
- Import and distribution partner planning, with paid tasting and activation support
03 / Explore
Explore Japan through its makers.
Free guides for finding Japanese drinks, plus the educational resources and producer map we’re building next.
Where to buy nihonshu (sake) in Tokyo
A map of 45 Tokyo shops that sell bottles of nihonshu to take home: station shops, department stores, prefectural shops and sake specialists, with directions and floor notes.
Open the mapTouring
Considering a maker visit or a drinks-focused itinerary? Tell us the region, group and interests you have in mind. Touring is in development.
Ask about touringDrinks of Japan map
Planned layers include nihonshu, shochu, wine, cider and beer. We’ll start with sourced producer records and expand coverage region by region.
Get in touch
Tell us what you have in mind.
For an event, share your date, venue or city, guest count, budget range and what you want guests to experience.
Loading…