Maction Planet x Shochu.Pro Hanami 2020

DUE TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Maction Planet and Shochu.Pro are collaborating once again to hold an exclusive hanami party to celebrate cherry blossom season in Tokyo. The party will be held in Yoyogi Park on Sunday 29 March, 2020 from 12:00-16:00.

Tickets to the event will include the following:

• Access to the Maction Planet x Shochu.Pro hanami: No need to wake up at the crack of dawn to secure a spot in one Tokyo’s best Cherry Blossom spots – we will be doing it for you.  
• Unlimited all-you-can-drink Shochu from a selection curated by Christopher Pellegrini.
• 4 x 350ml draft craft beers from Baird Beer, one of Japan’s foremost Craft Beer Breweries (depending on ticket option)
• Further draft beers will be available at ¥750 per glass.
• Entry into a raffle to win a ‘Floating Sakura’ Maction Planet T-shirt, designed by superstar artist Livio Ramondelli

“Despite 2019 not being over, people are emailing, messaging and calling about the 2020 hanami event, and we understand why!” said Mac, Founder and Lead Guide of Maction Planet. “It has become a key date in the Tokyo calendar for many people. Over the last three years we have had a great mix of Tokyo residents and visitors from all over the world attending, with guests from Japan, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, US, UK, Canada, Philippines, Mexico, France, Germany, India and more.”

As in the sold-out 2019 event, there will be two ticket types: LEAN and LARGE

LEAN: Entry PLUS all-you-can drink shochu PLUS raffle entry

LARGE: Entry PLUS all-you-can drink shochu PLUS four 350ml draft craft Baird Beers PLUS raffle entry

Tickets are on sale now, and are available for purchase here.

“It wouldn’t be a Maction Planet x Shochu.Pro Hanami without Baird Beer. They are a mainstay of this event. As guests on our Craft Beer Tours know, Baird Beer are one of the craft beer pioneers in Japan. We are honoured to continue our partnership in 2020.” said Mac. “We advise guests to purchase a LARGE ticket to enjoy the unique combination of the best of Japan’s craft beer and craft spirits.”

“We have also catered to fans of Japan’s indeginous spirit with a shochu-only ticket which gives ticketholders all-you-can-drink shochu from an exclusive selection curated by the shochu whisperer, Christopher Pellegrini. Chris’ influence in the shochu world has grown exponentially in 2019, with the continued success of his own standing bar in Fukuoka and judging international drinks competitions.  I cannot stress how incredible this opportunity to access his knowledge is.”

“Our hanami has become an annual event, and we have people from overseas who are already planning their Japan trip around it,” said Chris, CEO of Shochu.Pro and author of The Shochu Handbook. “Sharing awamori and shochu with people in the park is one of the most enjoyable parts of the spring for me. This year I’m thinking about going with some labels that you can’t really get in Japan. I’ve actually been collecting these bottles for the past two years in anticipation of the 2020 hanami party. Add to that the tremendous brews courtesy of Baird Brewing, and you have a pretty magical event under the cherry trees..”

“We have kept the ‘very appropriate’ names of our ticket categories which were loved by our guests in 2019!” said Chris. “‘Lean’ speaks to the health benefits of shochu. ‘Large’ is Mac’s favourite word, appropriate as it fully encapsulates his philosophy on life! As he is our beer expert, the name fits that ticket class perfectly. It has indeed been a large year for both Maction Planet and Shochu.Pro and we are looking forward to giving something back to our supporters with this event.”

“Grab a friend, bring a picnic, and come drink with us under the cherry blossoms!” Chris added. 

You can get yourself in the mood for Hanami 2020 by watching this incredible video of Hanami 2017.

Reviews of the hanami can be found here, here, here, here, here, here and here on TripAdvisor.

Tickets are on sale now, and are available for purchase here.

• There are 20 Super Early Bird tickets (10 LEAN and 10 LARGE) available until 31 December 2019 23:55 JST. These cost ¥3490 (LEAN) and ¥4490 (LARGE)
• After that, Hanami tickets, available until 29 February 2020 23:55 JST, will cost ¥4390 (LEAN) and ¥5390 (LARGE)
• After that, Standard tickets, available until 24 March 2020 09:00 JST, will cost ¥4990 (LEAN) and ¥5990 (LARGE)

Yoyogi Park, one of Tokyo’s prime Cherry Blossom viewing spots, is 5 minutes walk from JR Harajuku Station and 7 minutes walk from Meiji-Jingumae on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda and Fukutoshin Lines. The exact location within the park will be posted on the Maction Planet Facebook page by 10:00 JST on the day of the event. The event will go ahead in all conditions except heavy rain or natural disaster. A decision will be made by 10:00 JST on the day. Tickets are non-refundable except in the event of cancellation by the organisers. In such case, 100% of the ticket price will be refunded.

For further information contact info@mactionplanet.com

About Maction Planet

Maction Planet is a Travel and Apparel business based in Tokyo. They run private, fully-customised tours and travel experiences in Tokyo and across Japan. Guests have described them as  “reinventing custom travel” in The World’s Greatest Metropolis and beyond. Since the launch of their website in February 2017, and growing their business away from solely ‘word-of-mouth’ recommendations, Maction Planet is now ranked in the Top 1.5% of all Tokyo Tours on TripAdvisor, with over 250 5-star reviews – ahead of many long-established Tokyo Tour companies. They have developed a loyal fanbase, with over 3500 Instagram followers and 2500 YouTube subscribers. Alongside the travel arm, Maction Planet Apparel designs unique T-shirts inspired by the city they love.

About Shochu Pro

Shochu Pro strives to bring Japan’s indigenous spirits, shochu and awamori, to audiences all over the world. Little known outside Japan, the diverse and delicious world of the country’s centuries-old spirits traditions has been innovating with an eye to moving into overseas markets. Through a combination of seminars, tastings, consulting, writing, and media engagements, the Shochu Pro crew  is working alongside Japanese distilleries and regional cooperatives to ensure a successful internationalization effort. Shochu Pro is led by a team of professionals with extensive experience in Japan, both on the distillery floor and through a plethora of promotional activities. Kanpai!