You are interested in Sake, aren’t you? Sake is popularly explained as “rice wine”, but the expression is not correct. On this tour, you will visit Ozawa Shuzo in Ome City, Tokyo, and learn about various issues on sake. After the brewery visit and beautiful Japanese lunch there, you will touch nature in a suburban area in metropolitan Tokyo.
Ozawa Shuzo's visitor facilities are closed on Mondays, and their main restaurant is closed on Fridays too.
At your hotel lobby in the central Tokyo
Notes: Times in parentheses are for the 2nd afternoon sake brewery tour.
Pickup time may vary with your hotel location.
On the train, you will learn basic knowledge of sake, and see variations of Tokyo scenery from business/commercial areas to residential area and suburbs.
One of nine sake breweries in Tokyo.
Main dish served there is tofu, or bean curd, made with sake brewing water. Light lunches such as Japanese noodles are also available.
The tour will give you further information and knowledge in the authentic sake brewing atmosphere, and then, you may try and learn sake tasting (after the brewery tour).
The tour time (1 pm or 2 pm: or 12 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and National Holidays) depends on booking availability.
Sake tasting and/or shopping souvenirs for yourself, your family, and friends.
You will visit a local temple and/or a village head's house in the mid-18th century (availability on the day to be checked).
You will appreciate beautiful ladies' accessories in old times in Japan.
One of nine Tokyo metropolitan gardens by dropping off at Kokubunji Station on the way back to Shinjuku/Tokyo.
Shinjuku Gyoen closes on Mondays, and the East Garden (admission free) closes on Mondays and Fridays.
Upon your request and as time allows.
At JR Shinjuku/Tokyo Station or your hotel at around 17:30 PM (or 18:30 PM)
At first, you will be a sake lover, and obtain sufficient cultural and technical information and knowledge regarding sake history, culture, and production which you can demonstrate to your family and friends as you are a sake master. Your dishes, and life, will be enriched with a good selection of sake after the tour.
During the tour, you will breathe fresh natural air in Tokyo's countryside, and touch the gentle and kind "omotenashi" or hospitality, of people there,
Guide fee, hotel pick-up and/or sending off, traveling expenses, and admission fees in the itinerary for your guide
Traveling expenses (for you): 1,900 (2,220) JPY/person-round trip from Shinjuku (Tokyo) to Sawai, etc.
Sake tasting (for you): 300 - 1500 JPY/person
Lunch (for you and your guide): 700 to 5000 JPY/person depending on your selection
Admission fees (for you): 600 JPY/person for Hair Ornaments Museum, 150 JPY/person for Tonogayato Gardens
Admission fees (for you): 500 JPY/person for Shinjuku Gyoen
Other fees and expenses (for you and your guide) during the tour, if any
The inbound tour has been resumed. Wearing a mask depends on individual decisions, and you can enjoy tours and cultural experiences in Japan now.
As of September 2024, the brewery tour is open but without free sake tasting and for a limited number of visitors.
- At first, you will be a sake lover, and obtain sufficient cultural and technical information and knowledge regarding sake history, culture, and production which you can demonstrate to your family and friends as you are a sake master. Your dishes, and life, will be enriched with a good selection of sake after the tour.
- During the tour, you will breathe fresh natural air in Tokyo's countryside, and touch the gentle and kind "omotenashi", or hospitality, of people there,
- See calendars for available tour dates.
- If a guest is younger than 20 years old, they can participate in the tour, but cannot taste sake by law in Japan.
- The meeting time will be discussed when the date and meeting point are finalized, and it may be between 7:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m.
- Availability of the village head's house visit will depend on the owner's schedule on the tour day. The house is locked and will open specially for you if he is available.
Yamasan guided us exceptionally well in our first contact with the city, the japonese culture and gardens. He sent us days before the tour plan, the interest sites and updated then a couple of times according to our interest. He was also very kind to come with us and help us solve a personal problem. We were very delighted with his services. Thank you, Yamasan!
Thank you so much for your comment. It was a rainy day in Tokyo, and I was afraid that your first day here was not perfect. You, however, didn't complain about the rain at all during the tour and in your comment too. I was (and am still) very happy with your beautiful family, and hope you are continuously enjoying this first tour to Japan. Please contact me when you plan the second Japan tour. Will it be when your son graduates from the university?
Yamasan went beyond the call to insure the needs of my group. Traveling with 2 wheelchairs, he made sure to customize an itinerary that would fit out needs. He made sure everything was perfect.
Thank you very much for your quick and heartful comments. I was very happy with you and your beautiful family. Thanks to the best guests, the nice weather, pretty cherry blossoms, and the gentle driver, today's tour could be completed with the happy smile of everybody. Please enjoy your cruising tour with your splendid parents.
He was best every way
Thank you very much for your review comment. I feel very sad that I could be with you for the first two days only. Your stay in Tokyo was "too" calm because of Covid-19. It was lucky that your symptom was just moderate and fortunately, I was not infected. You have to visit Tokyo again soon for the two days you missed to be with me. I'll wait for such days to prepare some exciting experiences for you. Thank you again.
It was our first day and first time in Japan. We wanted help with the subways, visiting our first restaurant, etiquette for visiting our first Temple and a tour of Shinjuko. We asked “Yama-San” to do that and he created a tour to match our request. Great day!
Thank you for your comment. The day was a great day for me being with you, three beautiful couples. I could feel your love throughout the tour. Hoping to see you again, Yama.