Tournament Rules
Tournament Rules
These are the official rules for Iron Tongue Japan Tournament 2025. Please read them in advance to ensure a fair and smooth proceeding!
Qualifiers
The preliminary round will be a team competition! 64 participants will compete in teams of two (teams will be announced the night before). 32 teams will compete in two rounds, and the top 8 teams with the highest total scores will advance to the semi-finals.
- Round 1: Each team will be provided with 3 sets of 9 cups of 3 different types of coffee. Please choose 3 cups of coffee that you think are the same, 2 cups each.
- Round 2: Each team will be provided with 9 cups (3 sets) of 3 different types of coffee. Now, put in front of you three sets of 3 types of coffee that you think are the same. If all the sets are the same, you will get 1 point. (Example: 3 points if all the types are correct)
The scores from the first and second rounds will be added together and the top eight teams with the highest scores and shortest total times will advance to the next round.
Semi-final - Triangulation
The top 8 teams will be split into 16 players and compete against each other. There will be 6 sets of coffee, 2 of which are the same and 1 of which is different. The top 4 players who can most quickly and accurately identify the one different cup from each set will advance to the finals.
final
The top four will advance to the finals! The rules are the same as for the semi-finals.
Competition Rules
- Participants may bring their own cupping spoons.
- In the first round you will be able to take notes while tasting!
- When placing the answer cup, once it crosses the line on the table, it is finalized and cannot be changed.
- Water will be available for drinking during the competition.
- The winner will receive a prize of 200,000 yen (Japanese yen).
Let's have fun competing and make this a great tournament!