Sakagura is the grouping of breweries in a particular district. The word sake by itself is a generic term for alcohol and Japanese call the clear alcohol unique drink brewed in Japan nihonshu, which has played a central role in Japanese life and culture for 2,000 years. The town of Saijo is one of the premier sake-producing regions in Japan; this tour is a delightful stroll through the district and includes tasting at the breweries.
At Saijo Station
A comfortable stroll through the Saijo sakagura. While visiting breweries, learning all about the brewing methods of one of the three major Japanese sake brewery regions in Japan, along the way, sampling their fine Japanese sake and eating on the specialty brewers hot pot meal for lunch.
lunch in a local inn with the delicious specialty brewers stamina hot pot dish
after-lunch coffee or preferred beverage and dessert at a lovely nearby cafe also selling local craft souvenirs..
conclude the tour and if preferred escort guests back to Hiroshima Station and part.
Hiroshima Station
We will meet at Saijo Station and set out for a leisurely stroll visiting at least four of the major breweries tasting the clear brew and engaging with locals while learning about Japanese sake brewing in the region and finishing off the tour with a delicious traditional brewer's hot pot in a small hideaway inn nearby followed by coffee and dessert at a local landmark boutique cafe.
guide fee, the complimentary sake available at each brewery + 2 x beverages total per guest, lunch, dessert.
fares to and from Saijo (if not travelling on a JR Pass ¥580 one direction), additional drinks ~ ¥300 per additional taster glass
Due to Brewery opening hours, not available on weekends. Must be over twenty years of age.
Strolling a total of approximately 2 km at an easy pace, but comfortable walking shoes recommended. . I can meet you either at Hiroshima station approximately forty minutes before the tour start time, or you can make the approximately 35-minute train journey to Saijo on the Sanyo line to commence the tour. I will escort you back to Hiroshima.
Once I send a requested tour offer I hold that date for 36 hours. Please note that I supply tours for several companies and I will close that date to enquiries via other providers for that period; if a booking is not made I reopen my availability. I am contractually obliged to accept bookings made for dates open on a provider site calendar; as such, I cannot guarantee availability until a booking is set. Thanks for your understanding.
Hugh e’ stato una guida molto preparata, efficiente e simpatica. Grazie ai suoi racconti e alle sue spiegazioni siamo riusciti a immergerci nella cultura, anche culinaria, della città. Lo consiglio!
grazie mille Marinella! È stato un grande piacere condividere la giornata con tutti voi.
Hugh provided a wonderful tour for our small group of 4. It was both very informative and a lot of fun. He is extremely knowledgeable about the locations we toured, providing great depth and insights into their details, history and significance. He was also able to answer all our other questions about Japan in general. He clearly has a deep love and understanding of all things Japanese. Thanks Hugh for a wonderful tour!
Thanks Rob!
Hugh was incredible! He is a Japanese soul with an Aussie accent. His deep love and respect for Japan was immediately evident and he generously shared his take on history, culture, and language on our day-long adventure. He was easy to contact by email pre-trip to work out some details and was on time at our hotel starting point. We spent a full day on foot, train, and ferry to significant locations in and around Hiroshima. We especially enjoyed our lunch stop for okonomiyaki (savory pancake) at a wonderful location we never would have found on our own. Our group of 3 finished the day 10 times smarter than when we started.
Hugh is very knowledgeable and flexible to tailor our tour day due to changing circumstances. For example, when the trains to Mijiima were not available because of heavy rains and mud slide risks, we started out in the reverse order and started with the atomic bomb dome and museum. When became clear that the trains would still be out for a few more hours. We took a cab, tram and two boats to get to and from Miyajima and had a great time. He is a wealth of knowledge for history buffs like myself. His fluency in Japanese was flawless and great to have as a guide.
Thanks Barry! It was a great pleasure sharing the day as your guide.