Saijo Sake Tasting Tour: 3 Breweries with English Guide

Three breweries, five sake tastings, one afternoon in Japan's sake country

A sake tasting tour in Saijo, Hiroshima's major brewing district, takes you to three of seven breweries within walking distance of the station. An English-speaking guide leads the 90-minute visit, explaining the history and craft of each brewery while you sample five different sake styles (daiginjo, junmai sake, umeshu and others) chosen by each brewer. Some breweries don't offer tastings on weekdays, so this tour accesses tastings that are otherwise unavailable.

Step-by-step itinerary

Tour and taste sake at breweries

• Meet at Saijo Station Tourist Center
• Watch sake making video at Kamotsuru
• Taste Daiginjo Gold Kamotsuru sake
• Taste Fukubijin Junmai-Shu sake
• Taste warm sake in winter season
• Taste Hiroshima Gensyu and plum wine at Hakubotan

The experience

Saijo is one of Japan's three major sake-producing regions, and seven breweries sit within walking distance of Saijo Station. This tour covers three of them in 90 minutes, moving efficiently from one to the next with an English guide who explains the history and technique behind each brewery's work. You start at the Tourist Information Center outside the station ticketing gate and move through the district on foot.

The first stop is Kamotsuru, the pioneer in ginjo sake brewing. You'll watch a 10-minute video on sake-making in their visitor room, then taste their daiginjo-type "Daiginjo Gold Kamotsuru." Fukubijin, known as the Saijo Brewing School for training master brewers, comes next. You sample their junmai sake, served warm during winter months. The final brewery is Hakubotan, founded in 1675 and one of the oldest in Hiroshima Prefecture. Here you taste "Hiroshima Gensyu" and plum wine steeped in daiginjo. The order can shift depending on group size that day, and some elements may change, but the three breweries and five tastings remain the core.

This is a tasting tour, not a brewing observation: you won't see the production process itself. The five sake samples (spanning styles from delicate daiginjo to fuller junmai and sweet umeshu) give you a range to find what suits your palate. Participants must be at least 20 years old under Japanese law. Even if you choose not to drink, the tour fee stays the same.

What’s included

• Five different sake tastings (daiginjo, junmai sake, umeshu and others).
• English-speaking guide explaining brewery history and sake-making.
• 10-minute video on sake production at Kamotsuru.
• access to breweries that don't normally offer weekday tastings.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to FridayDeparts at 10:30

AgesAdult (20 and older) · Under 20: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10 · max 6 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Higashi Hiroshima City Tourism Association

Is this one for you?The English guide makes this tour work for travelers who don't speak Japanese and want context for what they're tasting. If you prefer to explore the breweries independently or need a different language, arrange that separately in advance.

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Top questions

What exactly do I taste on the Saijo sake tour?

You sample five different types of sake across the three breweries: daiginjo, junmai sake, umeshu (plum wine), and others selected by each brewer. Kamotsuru offers their daiginjo-type "Daiginjo Gold Kamotsuru," Fukubijin serves junmai sake (warm in winter), and Hakubotan provides "Hiroshima Gensyu" and plum wine steeped in daiginjo.

Can I visit these breweries on a weekday, or do they close then?

Some of the seven Saijo breweries don't offer tastings on weekdays, which is why this tour is valuable. It secures access to tastings that wouldn't normally be available if you visited independently on a weekday.

How long does the tour take and how much walking is involved?

The tour runs 90 minutes total, moving on foot between three breweries within walking distance of Saijo Station. The pace is efficient but manageable for most fitness levels.

What's included in the tour fee?

The tour includes five different sake tastings at the three breweries and an English-speaking guide who explains the history and craft of each brewery.

Is there a minimum age requirement?

Yes, participants must be at least 20 years old under Japanese law. Infants and anyone under 20 cannot join, even if they don't drink.