Saitama Wood-Aged Sake Brewery Tour and Tasting
Get a taste of Japan's sake history up close as you sip your way through an old-fashioned shuzo.
Highlights
See real timber fermentation tanks up-close
Experience the history of a long-standing and still-active traditional sake brewery
Taste freshly prepared sake at its source as you get to know the workers who made it
10 meals
Experience Details
Want a glimpse into the secrets of ancient sake brewing techniques? Calling all fans of traditional nihonshu, or enthusiasts of fermentation and probiotic technology, to experience first hand the sake making process in Saitama, the prefecture just north of Tokyo.
Visitors to Yamane Shuzo sake brewery will surely be fascinated by the painstaking, traditional fermentation methods still used at its facilities. Towering vats of bubbly, fresh sake release a funky perfume that changes with each step of the brewing process. You'll feel as if you've stepped back in time as you learn the old-fashioned way of brewing Japan's world-famous rice wine. Brewmasters will introduce how they carefully manage koji blooming, temperature, and acidity in the fermentation tanks to create an ideal sake each season.
After a tour of the facilities, Yamane Shuzo's brewmasters and friendly staff will guide you through a sake tasting. During the 30-45 minute tasting experience, you'll learn the particularities and enjoy the unique, exquisite flavor of wood-aged sake. Yamane Brewery's wooden aging vats are all built from locally sourced timber, imbuing their sake with the flavor of Saitama.
Inclusions
Sake brewery and shuzo tour
Sake tasting
Rental gear for inside the brewery
Exclusions
Transportation to and from the meeting point at Yamane Shuzo
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
Meet your host at Yamane Sake Brewery, 30 mins from Hanno station in Saitama by bus. Further details and a Google Maps link will be provided upon booking.
Remarks
Only guests aged 20 and older can take part in the tasting.
Guests will be provided sanitary coverings to wear inside the warehouse and brewing facilities.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 2 days before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Experience Location
Saitama Prefecture boasts stunning scenery, cultural landmarks, and a variety of delicious local produce, making this prefecture an ideal day trip from Tokyo.
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10 meals
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