Best sake tasting experience in Takayama hands down. For the same price (¥1000) as 5 small samples at the packed breweries just along the road, you have access for 30 mins to around 20 bottles of sake. The gentleman running the tasting room speaks fluent English and is very knowledgeable about sake. I managed to try 13 different types during the tasting and ended up buying 2 for what felt like a steal. Highly recommend to anyone vaguely interested in sake!
We toured a few sake breweries during our time in Takayama and this one STOOD OUT AS THE BEST! for a nominal fee, you could taste as many sakes as you want (I think they had about 24 in their tasting room?) for 30 minutes. There were MANY good ones. This is the oldest sake brewery in Takayama, and the Japanese grandpa who guided us and gave us pointers has wonderful English to explain everything. Perhaps bc of the amount of sake we drank, we ended up buying 6 beautiful bottles to take home, and the prices were very reasonable. If you're looking for the best sake tasting experience in Takayama, this is it! I wish we had the foresight to book the brewery tour as well
Had the guided tour by the local tourist centre and they took very well care of us in there. Loved the staff working there they are so welcoming and accessible.
The sake selection they have is also quite awesome.
I hope I can make it when they have the green decoration at the door for the next batch of fresh sake!
Definitely come if you want to try some sake, for ¥1000 you can try up to 30 different sake/alcohol (there are also umeshu and yuzu sake). Also do try the "amazake" if you never tried one, their amazake is really really good. The lady there also explains a lot about their sake products and also very interactive with the customers (she speaks english well). Definitely give this place a visit if you're around the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hirase produces junmai and ginjo grade sake using Hida Homare rice and snowmelt water from the Japanese Alps. The brewery offers both standard varieties and seasonal limited releases, all brewed using traditional cold fermentation methods.
Visitors can view the Edo-period brewery building including its original cedar beams and earthen walls. Staff are available to answer questions about the brewing process, though formal guided tours may not be regularly scheduled.
Yes, both entry and sake tastings are free of charge. Visitors can sample multiple varieties while staff explain the characteristics of different sake grades.
Yes, multiple historic sake breweries operate within the Sanmachi Suji preserved district. All can be identified by the sugidama cedar spheres hanging above their entrances, and the area is walkable for visiting several breweries in one trip.
