Visiting Sake Breweries There are a lot of famous places to visit in Kyoto, and a plethora of temples and shrines; but why not consider the special and unique experience of visiting a sake brewery?
Kyoto, blessed with rich underground water thanks to the surrounding mountains, is a place where the tradition of sake brewing flourishes.

Traditional Japanese Cuisine was registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2013. As interest in Japanese cuisine has grown, sake has also become more popular.

Sake is an alcoholic beverage made from rice and was originally used in Shinto rituals. The technique of brewing sake has continually developed.

I would like to recommend “Kinshi Masamune’s New Tokiwa Brewery” to those who would like to visit a sake brewery. It is in Fushimi ward, in the south-east of Kyoto City. Fushimi has good-quality soft water, which plays an important role in brewing mild sake.

Visiting Kinshi Masamune’s New Tokiwa Brewery requires a reservation. If you don’t speak Japanese, you need to take an interpreter with you. In the brewery, you will first be shown sake rice, the raw material for sake, then the brewing process will be explained and lastly you will be invited to take a tour.

During the tour, you will have the chance to taste three different kinds of sake while consulting a taste and aroma chart. It is an informative and thoroughly enjoyable experience.