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I never thought I’d share a drink with the Prime Minister of Japan and President Barack Obama. Still, here we are – all having sipped the same Tokusei Gold Kamotsuru sake, complete with tiny gold sakura petals floating within. Obama enjoyed it during his 2014 diplomatic meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Abe. I discovered it ten years later on a sake tour in Saijo, a small town just 36 minutes from Hiroshima.
Despite its modest size, Saijo is Japan’s sake powerhouse, home to seven historic breweries that have perfected their craft over centuries. They’re open to the public, but on this guided tour, you’ll visit three breweries, taste five premium sakes, and, most importantly, discover why this unassuming town produces some of Japan’s most celebrated rice wine and the stories of the brewers behind it.
Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
The tourism office runs the Saijo Sake Tasting Guided Tour, and I met my guide, Yoshiko-san, in their office above the station at 10.30 am – and was surprised to discover I was her only guest for the morning.
We walked from the station toward the sake area. At this point, Yoshiko-san started explaining why Saijo has turned into such a prolific sake-making area.
Why is Saijo Hiroshima’s Sake Capital?
Sake has just three ingredients: water, rice and, erm, mould. The source of these, the way they are prepared and the time they are left to brew determine the final outcome of the drink – and Saijo is very lucky as it’s ingredients are special.
Water: The Foundation
Eighty per cent of sake is water, and the purer it is, the better. Saijo is supplied by a spring that comes directly from the nearby Mount Ryuo ensuring it’s purity – and, a healthy infusion of minerals – calcium, magnesium and zinc – that gives it a unique taste profile; our first stop was a tap where anyone in the town can use this water – and as we arrived, one of the residents was filling her bottles for the day. She told me it was delicious.
Rice: Hiroshima’s Special Variety
The second ingredient you need for sake is rice, and at Kamotsuru, the first brewery you visit on the tour, they use a very special kind. Hiroshima Nishiki.
This variety has a small grain and a rich flavour, making it perfect for sake. However, it’s very hard to grow because it’s taller than most rice crops, and it’s easily damaged. Nevertheless, breweries like Kamotsuru in Saijo work directly with local farmers to cultivate the crop.
To make sake, rice is polished to remove fat and proteins that concentrate around the surface.
These can change the taste of the sake. The more you remove, the smoother the drink – you’ll see this marked on sake bottles as a percentage – 60% means that 40 per cent of the shell of the rice grain has been removed, 32% means 68 per cent of it has.
One of the things that makes the sake in Saijo so prized is that some of the breweries still polish their rice by hand rather than using machines. At Kamotsuru, for example, they polish the rice used in all their sake for at least ten hours. But, for their very special blends like daiginjo, they polish the rice for 100 hours over four days and nights. Four days – by hand!
Koji: The Master’s Touch
The third ingredient in sake is koji, which is basically mould, but very, very pampered mould!
Koji can make or break a sake. It’s sprinkled on the rice, and it turns the starches into alcohol. This process takes days to ferment – at this time, the great sake masters actually listen to the mixture and watch the bubbles to determine how long it needs to be left. On average, it will take about 50 days for each batch of sake to brew. In Saijo, sake is only made in winter as the heat of summer can affect the process.
All of the above is a very condensed version of what you’ll learn about in the first part of the tour – Yoshiko-san made it all far more interesting, and there are lots of information boards and fun photo ops along the way that add to the bullet point version above.
You’ll walk away with a huge appreciation for the craft of sake making and how seriously it’s taken here in Saijo. I’ve done a lot of sake tastings and been to other sake breweries, but there was something about this area that takes the passion to a new level. I found it fascinating.
The Tasting Experience: What to Expect
So, once you appreciate the effort it takes to make sake, it’s time to get on with the tasting. You visit three sake breweries on the tour – the exact ones vary by day – and you’ll try five different samples, each a different grade of sake. This allows you to see the difference that the level of polishing makes to the drink – I don’t have the most discerning taste buds, but even I could taste how it changed things.
As one of the brewers explained, a sake with a 70% polish is fun sake, the type you drink with friends. 60% polish is ‘dinner sake’, the kind you enjoy with a meal, and 32% is ‘sake for the sake of sake.’ This you drink to appreciate the taste, the craft and the dedication that goes into making it.
I also learned that good sake should shine in the light – and, while you smell sake when tasting it like you do wine, you don’t swirl it – who knew!
The Seven Sake Breweries of Saijo
As well as having their own distinct type of sake, each brewery has something unique to see inside the showroom. Here’s a very quick guide
Sanyotsuru: Here since 1912. You can buy sake cups here and also see how calligraphy is used on sake labels.
Hakubotan: One of the oldest sake breweries in Hiroshima prefecture, it has a display of woodblock prints by Shiko Mankata
Saijtsuru: They sell sake-flavoured gelato – look for the stained glass window inside.
Kamotsuru: Offers extensive displays on how sake is made, along with lots of advice in English.
Kirei: If you like dry sake, this is where to go. Note the tortoise motifs around the place.
Fukubijin: Very photogenic, they are famous for their range of sake with lunar zodiac labels.
Kamoizumi: One of the original brewers of pure rice sake in Japan.
Shopping for Sake: What You Can Take Home
As much as you can carry! Each place we visited had a shop attached. I particularly liked that Kamotsuru provided explanations in both English and Japanese, describing the sake’s taste and serving suggestions, making it easy to choose something that appealed to you if you didn’t find your perfect drink at the tasting.
This one was the sake served to President Obama, and it was delicious. I never buy souvenirs, but I brought back a small bottle of this.
Handy Tip: If you pick up the Walking Map of Saijo Sakagura-dori Street at the Information Centre, it has a section on the back highlighting the exact bottle each brewery is renowned for.
You can also buy other sake-related souvenirs like sake cups, wooden measuring containers, tote bags, aprons and more in the shops at the breweries. It would be a great place to pick up gifts for any sake lovers back home.
Our last stop was Hakubotan, which has been established in Hiroshima prefecture since 1675. Here we tried one of their award-winning sakes, but that wasn’t what made me say wow. That honor went to their plum wine. This was the best plum wine I’ve ever tasted. Sadly, it didn’t come in small bottles so I couldn’t bring that home – but, if you get a chance, make sure you try this as it’s fantastic. It’s the Ume Sake Daiginjo
At this point, my 90-minute tour was over. I’d thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot. I wandered around town a little bit longer, taking pictures of cute old buildings, sake-themed manhole covers and themed postboxes before catching the train back to Hiroshima, where I loaded up on a bowl of ramen to soak up the sake, and spent my afternoon exploring some of the Atomic Bomb sights.
Why Take the Guided Tour?
Because it just adds an extra level to the experience.
Not only did it give me a good understanding of what changes the taste of sake – so, if you did go tasting at the other places you’ll have a better idea of what you like, or what to look for, but the whole time Yoshiko-san was telling me about the process, about the stories behind each brewery, and I learned far more about the different companies than I would have simply visiting the brewery on my own.
For example, I would have walked right past the pile of bags and aprons in the picture below at the Kirei brewery, just thinking they were normal souvenirs – but they’re actually made from the bags used in the sake pressing process when they can no longer be used to filter the brew. How cool is that?
While in Kirei, Yoshiko-san also explained that the tortoise on the barrels and the display of tortoises in the brewery are because one of the characters in the word Kirei means tortoise. As these are a sign of longevity and prosperity, they became the brewery’s symbol.
I actually wish I’d had time to repeat the tour on a day when you visit the town’s other breweries, to hear more anecdotes like this. Or, had booked the longer tour which takes in all seven breweries.
Having Yoshiko-san by my side also allowed me to ask more questions, and for the breweries to communicate fully with me as she could translate both my questions and people’s answers more fully. If you’re serious about sake shopping, this would be invaluable.
Where to Book The Tour
I booked it on Klook. It’s called the Hiroshima Saijo Sake Tasting Tour With Visit to 3 Breweries.
The tour runs Monday to Friday – it’s not available at weekends.
It starts at 10.30 am and lasts 90 minutes. During that time, you’ll visit three of the seven sake breweries and sample up to five different types of sake/plum wine. All the guides speak good English.
The legal age to drink in Japan is 20, so you need to be 20 or above to take part in the tour.
There is a longer tour, also run by the tourist board, that takes in all seven breweries. This is available via Viator and it’s called Hiroshima Saijo Sake Tasting Tour with Visit to 7 Breweries. Find it here if you’d like to book that one instead.
Save Money with Klook & Japlanease
If you plan on buying tickets or tours from Klook for when you’re in Japan, you could save up to 10 per cent by using the code JAPLANEASEKLOOK at the checkout. Click here to see what’s on offer.
T&Cs apply. Some items, including Tokyo Disney and USJ tickets, are not available for discounts.
Beyond Sake: Exploring Saijo Town
While the sake breweries are the main draw, I’d suggest arriving a little before your tour – or, spending some time afterwards to walk around the town as it’s quite pretty. I started with a visit to the very cute Fukujin Shrine, which has a beautiful, calm zen garden. At 9:30 am, when I arrived, I found myself completely alone, and it was nice to sit and relax in the peaceful space before my tour began.
I particularly liked some of the old retro buildings dotted around. This early in the morning, there was hardly anyone else to be seen, and I was definitely the only Western tourist.
Also, while three sake breweries are included on the shorter tour, you can visit the other four under your own steam (on the longer tour). Pick up the walking map at the tourist information centre, and it will guide you to the ones you didn’t visit.
And talking of things you didn’t visit – I’m not sure if it was the give glasses of sake, or what, but I completely forgot that there was another entire shrine complex on the north side of the station to explore!
This contains the Matso Shrine, which is the shrine that protects the sake of Saijo!
So, that was silly of me. Don’t make my mistake; either go here before your tour, or once you finish, there are about six small shrines within this area.
Stop Off For Sake Treats
If all the walking (or sake) has left you peckish, there are lots of restaurants dotted around town, including Italian and French options if you need a break from Japanese cuisine. Or why not stick with the theme and pick up a sake-infused offering? Look for Bishu nabe, a stew of chicken or pork and vegetables infused with sake, or komekara, a version of karaage chicken with added sake powder.
Ask at the information centre for the best locations for these on the day you visit.
Need Extra Planning Help?
Our Japan trip planners can help. You might like our First-Timers Japan Planner, which will help you plan your trip to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka step-by-step, including tips on everything from picking hotels to sightseeing and dining. Or our super-duper Tokyo Disney Planner makes arranging your park trip MUCH easier. Find them in our Planners store – printable and digital versions are available.
Special Event: The Annual Sake Matsuri
October sees the Sake Matsuri held in Saijo – if you’re traveling at this time, you might want to integrate this into your trip, or, if you liked the image above of being the only tourist in town, plan your visit for another day.
The Sake Matsuri attracts up to 200,000 people to the small town, many of whom purchase the ‘all you drink’ sake tasting ticket. This ticket allows them to sample as many of the 800 sake on offer in the Sake Square as they like.
There are also Matsuri float parades, karaoke competitions, special sake-based dishes and much more.
In 2025, the event is being held on October 11 and 12 – find out more, including how to buy tickets in advance if you do decide to go, on the Sake Matsuri website.
How to Get to Saijo
It couldn’t be easier. Head to Hiroshima Station and get on the Sanyo Line to Saijo Station. It takes less than 40 minutes, and the trains are very regular.
So, that’s it – my review of the Sake Tasting Tour in Saijo. It’s brought back a lot of lovely memories, and as it’s almost 5 pm on a Friday, I’m off downstairs to finally crack open the bottle of presidential sake I lovingly carried back but haven’t opened yet!
Kanpai, Mr President.
Who Writes This Blog?
My name is Helen Foster, and I’m a journalist and author. My travel articles have appeared in publications including The Australian, Escape, RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, and more.
I’ve traveled to Japan eight times before – solo and with my partner and visited over 25 towns and cities. My last visit was November 2024 so, everything here is pretty up to date.
