"Kubota" is Asahi Shuzo's flagship sake brand, recognized nationally and internationally, available in grades ranging from standard to premium daiginjo (highly polished rice sake).
Yes. Tours require advance reservation and typically cost 500 to 1,500 yen including tasting, though policies vary and should be confirmed when booking.
Tour the production facilities observing rice polishing, steaming, fermentation, and aging processes. Participate in guided tastings of Asahi Shuzo products, particularly Kubota varieties, and purchase bottles at the brewery shop.
Tours may be conducted primarily in Japanese, though English materials or interpretation may be available depending on arrangements. Confirm language options when making reservations.
Nearby attractions include the Nagaoka War Damage Museum, Yamamoto Isoroku Memorial Hall, and Yahiko Shrine. Niigata's sake brewery trail allows visiting multiple producers in the region.
Sake brewery that offers free guided tours between 11:00-14:00. You wait near the sake shop and restaurant across the street from the brewery. Someone will get you here. The tours are in Japanese but it was interesting to see how the sake was made. There are small samples of drinks offered during the tour to taste the different stages of fermentation. At the end of the tour we were given a small sake cup.
May 2026
I finally visited Asahi Shuzo, the brewery that produces Kubota sake, a place I'd always wanted to go!
Luckily, I was able to join a free brewery tour as soon as I arrived. It was only about 30 minutes, but the guide explained the sake-making process very carefully, and I was once again impressed by the depth of Japanese sake.
Tour participants were also able to sample non-commercial sake. It was a very satisfying experience to feel firsthand how that refined taste is created.
After the tour, I bought some delicious-looking amazake (sweet rice wine) along with the sake I'd been looking for at the shop.
Afterwards, feeling hungry, I had soba noodles for lunch at the attached restaurant.
It's a wonderful place where you can learn about delicious sake, shop, and enjoy gourmet food all in one place. A must-see spot when visiting Niigata!
Although Kubota cigarettes are available in Taiwan, the trip to Niigata, Japan, followed by a train ride to Ryoji Temple and a 15-minute walk, was well worth it. After a brief visit, we went to the souvenir shop. The sales assistants didn't speak too fast, so even I, a foreigner, could understand about 80% of them. I bought some of the recommended sake, pickles, and miso. I also bought an apron to wear to work.
A stroll around Asahi Shuzo, a sake brewery famous for its Kubota sake.
Asahi Shuzo has been around for 200 years since 1830. Its founding site is truly the perfect place for sake brewing. The clear underground water that flows through the brewery, the foundation of sake brewing, boasts low hardness even within the prefecture. This soft water, ideal for sake brewing, promotes gentle fermentation during brewing. The water and rice are perfect. The brewery's appearance is incredibly modern and large. The 20-minute tour is listed as starting at 10:00, but it actually starts at 11:00. I couldn't waste an hour, so I gave up (some websites have now been updated). Be careful!
