Unveil the Secrets of Sake & Soy Sauce in a Brewery Town
Escape the big city to Kinomoto–a charming brewery town in Shiga prefecture (just 20 minutes from Kyoto). Embark on a walking tour to explore sake and soy sauce breweries.
Highlights
Explore an off-the-beaten-path town in Shiga prefecture
Embark on a walking tour alongside a bilingual guide
Tour local breweries and tasting experience
Interact with the local townspeople
Visit a historical Buddhist temple
10 meals
Experience Details
Kinomoto is an enchanting sake and soy sauce brewery town nestled in Japan’s picturesque Shiga prefecture. Surrounded by natural beauty, Kinomoto has shied away from catering to the tourism industry by focusing on maintaining the local community and family businesses supporting the town. Due to this, a visit to Kinomoto will be a retreat from the heavily-footed paths of neighboring towns and cities.
Your experience will begin at JR Maibara Station (a Shinkansen stop and only 20 minutes from Kyoto), where your guide will be waiting with open arms. Together, you’ll hop on a train toward JR Kinomoto Station. From here, it’s time to tighten your laces as we embark upon a walking tour of the town. Our stops include sake breweries, some of which are among the oldest operating in Japan, and a traditional soy sauce brewery. What sets this tour apart, you ask? Unlike other sake-focused tours in Japan, this experience focuses on the local community and the history of the town brewers. Less big city, more small town.
Meet the real people who keep these businesses running as you sample sake and soy sauce in this off-the-beaten-path experience! If joining this tour outside of the winter brewing season, you might be lucky enough to get a peek inside the actual brewing areas at two of our stops (Yamaji Shuzo & Daiko Shoyu). Round off this experience with a visit to a historical Buddhist temple and local shops.
If you’d like to level up this experience, we have two optional packages that include a lunch component—check them out below!
Inclusions
Walking tour with a bilingual guide
Sake and soy sauce tastings
Entrance fee to the experience venues
Exclusions
Transportation to and from the experience
Additional purchases made outside those included in the experience
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
Meet your host right at the ticket gate of JR Maibara Station. By bullet train, Maibara is 1 stop east (20 min) from Kyoto. More details and a Google Maps link will be provided upon booking.
Remarks
Sake and alcohol tastings are only available for guests aged 20 or older due to the legal drinking age in Japan
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
Maibara is a charming town located in Shiga Prefecture, and is a mere 20 minutes from Kyoto. Nestled between the beautiful Lake Biwa and the scenic mountains of Hira, it offers residents and visitors alike a tranquil and picturesque setting. With a population of around 40,000 people, Maibara is a relatively small but thriving community that exudes a strong sense of traditional Japanese culture and hospitality.
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
10 meals
For over 400 years, Kyoto’s Fushimi Sake District has been producing some of Japan’s most premium sake. During this sake brewery tour, visit a sake museum, tour a historic brewery, and taste a variety of sakes with a guide.
From delicate nigiri sushi to hefty gunkan maki, learn how to make several types of sushi during this cooking class in Tokyo. With a side of yakitori, miso soup, pickles, this is the perfect balanced Japanese meal to impress family and friends.
Experience a time-honored piece of Japanese culture in Asakusa, Tokyo’s traditional district. Learn about the art and history of Japanese tea ceremonies, and try your hand at preparing and serving your own matcha!
Learn about the essential components of washoku (Japanese cuisine) during this bento making class in Kyoto. Make a balanced meal of six different dishes including tempura, teriyaki chicken, and miso soup, with your friendly cooking teacher.
