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All-You-Can-Eat Shine Muscat Grapes in Akita! 3-Day-Only Buffet Returns This October

• Written by: LIVE JAPAN Editor

Date published: 6 October 2026

Shine Muscat grapes are one of Japan’s great autumn treats, but they’re not exactly known for being cheap. So an all-you-can-eat spread of locally grown Shine Muscat for 3,600 yen is going to get our attention.

From October 10–12, 2026, ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Akita is bringing back its hugely popular Shine Muscat lunch buffet after its September run filled up day after day. The grapes are shipped directly from Yurihonjo in Akita Prefecture, and this time there’s an extra temptation too: a special Shine Muscat shortcake served only during the three-day event.

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If you've wandered through the fruit section of a Japanese department store, you've probably noticed that Shine Muscat grapes can command fairly serious prices. Famous for being seedless and eaten with the skin on, these pale-green beauties offer a crisp snap followed by remarkably juicy flesh—no peeling required!

That’s what makes an all-you-can-eat spread at Sky Grill Buffet Restaurant SORA (located on the 12th floor of ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Akita) such an extraordinary deal. Rather than simply setting out a few grapes on a dessert plate, the restaurant fills boxes with full, heavy bunches of Shine Muscat, giving diners an indoor "grape-picking" experience right at their table.

These aren't ordinary supermarket grapes shipped across the country, either. They are grown locally in Yurihonjo City in Akita Prefecture and supplied by JA Akita Shinsei. Cultivated using mineral-rich water from the Mt. Chokai region, these grapes boast a sugar content of at least 18 Brix with pleasantly low acidity, giving this event a distinct regional identity.

The original September edition proved popular enough to sell out day after day, prompting the hotel to add three more dates over the October holiday weekend—making this the ultimate chance to pop as many premium grapes as you like, whole and unpeeled!

For the October encore, the hotel is adding something that wasn't part of the original event.

A special Shine Muscat shortcake layers soft sponge and whipped cream with plenty of fresh grapes, with more large Shine Muscat decorating the top.

Rather than simply putting slices out on the buffet, staff will cut the cake in front of diners as part of a special cutting service.

It's available only during the October 10–12 event, so this might be the moment to temporarily abandon any sensible strategy about saving room for dessert.

The Shine Muscat promotion is actually part of SORA's larger autumn lunch buffet, meaning you're not paying 3,600 yen just to sit down with a mountain of grapes.

From September through November, the restaurant is also running an Akita-inspired autumn buffet featuring around 50 dishes, with a particular focus on the prefecture's fermented food culture. Miso, koji, sake lees, and other fermented ingredients appear alongside seasonal dishes and autumn desserts.

That makes this particularly interesting for travelers. You can sample some very recognizable Japanese luxury fruit while also getting a quick introduction to flavors that are much more closely tied to Akita itself.

There's another nice bonus: SORA is located on the hotel's 12th floor, around 50 meters above ground, with broad views across Akita City.

The hotel itself is also extremely convenient for travelers, sitting just a few minutes' walk from JR Akita Station.

That means this isn't something you need to build an entire day around. If you're staying in Akita, arriving by Shinkansen, or using the city as a base for exploring the prefecture, you could easily slot the buffet into your itinerary.

The September dates were reportedly full each day, which is the reason these additional October sessions were added in the first place.

The hotel accepts online reservations, and with only two 90-minute sittings per day for three days, booking ahead would be the safer move rather than trying your luck on arrival.

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