Do you like Japan’s nihonshu (sake)? Wouldn’t the gastronomical side of your travel in Japan be richer if you tried some of the local varieties? Each area has its own particular rice and its own particular water and each brewery pays attention to different details in its own committed way. All these add to each cup having its own personality waiting for you to discover it.
Very close to Tokyo, in Chiba Prefecture (also home of Narita Airport) there are 36 breweries so why not include a tour of one or more of them in your itinerary?
Some of these breweries will let you visit their premises for free, allow you to see the actual brewing process and hear about their special procedures, and of course, let you sample their proud creations! The different aromas and tastes of sake drunk right there, in the breweries, will help deepen your memories of Japan.
This time, we visited two of these sake breweries.
Moriya Brewery
After the tour of Moriya, a sake brewery with a history of over 100 years, we had the opportunity to taste and compare a wide variety of sake. We particularly enjoyed the “Hyakunen no Shizuku” which can only be bought in the premises. We were also excited to have the brewery make us a bottle with our personal label, a great idea for special gifts!
※ Reservation required for the brewery tour
Address
Hasunuma Ha 2929, Sanmu City, Chiba Prefecture
Tokun Brewery
Our other choice was Tokun, which has been in the brewing business for over 190 years. Among other things we were offered the chance to experience first hand a part of the brewing process by stirring the moromi, the fermenting mash, and to hear the special sound the ingredients make during fermentation.
The Tokun Brewery is in Sawara, an area where a feeling of the old Edo period still lingers, so part of the charm of a visit to the brewery is walking around the surrounding old merchant quarter.
※ Brewery tour available even without reservation
See more of the sake brewing process, hear about the makers’ commitment to excellence, and enjoy Japan’s sake even more than before. And on the side, get to know other fascinating aspects Chiba’s culture including strawberry picking and learning how to create magnificent glass objects!
