LA SIDRA.- The international impact of the SISGA 2026 Awards continues to generate new coverage. On Sunday, 1 November, Japan’s Minamishinshu Shimbun, a newspaper serving the Nagano region, published a report on the Gold award won by Marukame Cider. More than a month after the International Hall of Gala Ciders took place in Xixón, a distinction awarded in Asturies is still making news in Japan.
An award in Xixón, a headline in Nagano
The Japanese report focuses on Marukame Fruit Farm, based in Matsukawa, and the recognition it received in an international cider competition. Its headline highlights the producer’s success on the world stage. The opening describes the award-winning cider as a sweet, low-alcohol product. This is additional reporting on the same Gold award, not a new award.
Marukame Cider Sweet won Gold in the naturally carbonated sweet sparkling cider category at SISGA 2026. The result had already been covered by Iida Keizai Shimbun on 26 October, which noted that it was the producer’s first entry in the Asturian competition. The 1 November article shows that the story has reached a second Japanese news outlet.
International recognition beyond the awards ceremony
What makes this development noteworthy is that the coverage comes from independent regional journalism, not only from an organiser’s press release or the producer’s own publicity. A recognition granted in Xixón has become a local business and agricultural story in Nagano.
The sequence is telling. On 24 October, France’s Le Progrès reported four SISGA medals for Cidrerie du Pilat. On 26 October, Iida Keizai Shimbun covered Marukame’s Gold. On 1 November, Minamishinshu Shimbun reported the Japanese win again. Together, these are documented examples of media interest continuing well after the competition itself.
Marukame’s own history helps explain the local interest. The family orchard has been operating for more than 80 years, and it opened a dedicated cidery in 2019. According to the earlier Iida Keizai Shimbun report, the award-winning cider is made from four estate-grown apple varieties: Fuji, Ōrin, Granny Smith and Pink Lady.
Asturies at the centre of a wider cider conversation
The 16th SISGA brought together 346 entries from 124 cider producers across 35 countries and territories. Blind tasting by an international jury gives cider makers from very different traditions an opportunity to gain recognition. For producers, an award in Asturies can also become a useful credential back in their home markets.
The relationship with Japan extends beyond the awards. LA SIDRA has previously explored how the official SISGA 2026 winners list reflects this diversity. Its earlier report on international media coverage of SISGA documented the French and first Japanese articles, while the review of the 16th edition outlines the event’s international scope.
The latest Nagano article illustrates a valuable dimension of the SISGA Awards: their influence does not end when the certificates are presented. The recognition travels home with producers, keeping Xixón and Asturies in the international cider conversation.
