Sushi Tour in Onomichi: Red Vinegar Brewery & Premium Sushi

Red vinegar brewery, historic port walk, and an eight-seat sushi counter

A guided activity in Onomichi combining a walking tour of the port town's vinegar heritage, a visit to Onomichi Zousu brewery (440 years old, using 100% Hiroshima sake lees), and a premium sushi course prepared with aged red vinegar. You choose lunch or dinner. The tour runs 4 to 5 hours with an English-speaking guide and includes the meal.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Onomichi and enjoy sushi course

• Meet and enjoy welcome drink
• Learn Onomichi history via slideshow
• Walk historic entertainment district
• Visit vinegar brewery and learn origin
• Enjoy premium sushi course

The experience

You arrive at the meeting point for a welcome drink and slideshow on Onomichi's history, then walk through the 850-year-old entertainment district to understand why this port town became Japan's vinegar hub. The brewery visit follows: Onomichi Zousu, where sake lees age for at least three years to create the subtle reddish hue and umami depth that distinguishes red vinegar from the rice vinegar most sushi uses. You'll see the production process and learn the story behind a vinegar style that traces back over four centuries.

The sushi course seats eight guests at a counter and takes about two hours for lunch, three hours for dinner. Each piece is prepared with the aged red vinegar you've just learned about, sourced from the finest seafood across Japan. This is a reservation-only spot: the tour secures your place.

What’s included

• Welcome drink and slideshow on Onomichi's history.
• guided walk through the 850-year-old port district.
• visit to Onomichi Zousu brewery to see red vinegar production.
• premium sushi course at an eight-seat counter using aged red vinegar.
• English-speaking interpreter guide throughout.

Options for this experience

2 options

Lunch TourGuide in English · 10:00

Dinner TourGuide in English · 16:00Duration: 5 hours. With the expanded meal options, the tour runs about an hour longer. Dinner tour: the meal options are more extensive than on the lunch tour.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:00 and 16:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 7

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

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

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by SIMA tours

Is this one for you?Choose the lunch tour if you have a free afternoon and want to finish by early evening. Pick dinner if you're settling in for the night and can spend three hours at the sushi counter. Either way, the fixed sequence (slideshow, walk, brewery, then sushi) means you experience the vinegar story before tasting it, so the meal itself makes sense.

Top questions

What makes Onomichi's red vinegar different from regular sushi vinegar?

Onomichi's red vinegar (akazu) is made from sake lees aged for at least three years, giving it a subtle reddish hue, rich aroma and umami depth. Traditional Edo-style sushi used this vinegar, while most modern sushi relies on plain rice vinegar. Onomichi Zousu crafts it using 100% Hiroshima-grown sake lees, a practice spanning over 440 years.

Can I choose between lunch and dinner for this tour?

Yes. The lunch sushi course runs about two hours. The dinner course takes about three hours. Both are included in the tour price, and you select which one suits your schedule when you book.

How long is the walking portion through Onomichi?

The tour runs 4 to 5 hours total, which includes the welcome drink and slideshow, the walking tour through the historic port district, the brewery visit, and the sushi course. The walking section itself is part of that timeframe.

Is the guide English-speaking?

Yes, an English-speaking interpreter guide leads the tour throughout.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes dinner (or lunch, depending on which option you choose), the interpreter guide fee, and restroom access. Alcoholic beverages are not included.