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A boat on the Horikawa canal past sake breweries in Fushimi, Kyoto

Food & drink

Sake breweries & whisky

Stroll through towns of sake breweries and compare a few glasses. At whisky distilleries, you can see how it is made.

Travel tips

  • The drinking age is 20. Never drive or cycle after drinking.
  • Guided distillery tours require a reservation and fill up early on popular days.

7 places to go

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  1. 1

    Tambabashi

    Station

    Kyoto's Fushimi sake district. Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum is about 5 minutes' walk from Chushojima, two stops from Tambabashi on the Keihan Line.

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  2. 2

    Sannomiya

    Station

    Kobe's Nada district. Take the Hanshin Line from Sannomiya to Sumiyoshi; the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum is about 5 minutes' walk.

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  3. 3

    Hiroshima

    Station

    Saijo in Higashi-Hiroshima. Take the JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima to Saijo; the breweries cluster just south of the station.

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  4. 4

    Echigo-Yuzawa

    Station

    Ponshukan, inside the station, lets you sample Niigata sakes a little at a time using tokens.

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  5. 5

    Takayama Old Town (Sanmachi Suji)

    Attraction

    Breweries hung with cedar balls line the old streets, and some offer tastings.

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  6. 6

    Kyoto

    Station

    For Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery, take the JR Kyoto Line to Yamazaki, then walk about 10 minutes. Tours require a reservation.

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  7. 7

    Yoichi

    Station

    Nikka's Yoichi Distillery, a short walk from the station. Guided tours require a reservation.

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From people who went

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Event dates, operating days, reservation rules and opening hours can change. Please check the official information before you go.

Photo and data credits

A boat on the Horikawa canal past sake breweries in Fushimi, Kyoto 663highland (CC BY 2.5) / Kobe Port Tower and the harbourfront skyline on a sunny day nesnad (CC BY 3.0) / The great torii of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the blue sea JordyMeow (CC BY-SA 3.0) / Visitors strolling along Sanmachi Suji in Takayama's old town 663highland (CC BY 2.5) / Yasaka-dori street in the early morning with the Yasaka Pagoda Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0). Cropped and resized.