What other travelers are saying about Shimomura Sake Brewery
It's within driving distance of my parents' house, and I finally got to Shimomura Sake Brewery, which I've always wanted to visit, and was able to buy some Oku Harima!
The atmosphere in the store was great, and the staff were very friendly and I was very satisfied.
I'll definitely be back every time I visit my parents' house (*^^*)
This sake brewery only produces unfiltered pure rice sake. Various types of Oku-Harima were lined up in a large direct sales store with a rest corner.
After having a hard time making a choice, I bought Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu, which is made with Yamada Nishiki polished to 55%.
I enjoyed the refreshing taste with a good balance of clear ginjo aroma, tanginess, some umami, and a hint of bitterness.
I would like to try other alcoholic beverages as well.
This brewery produces the highly acclaimed "Oku Harima" brand of sake, even in Hyogo Prefecture, a famous sake producing region. I stopped by here on my first visit of the year to Yasukamo Shrine, and bought some New Year's sake, "Hatsuhinode," and the Yamahai "Harumachi Kogarete."
This is a sake brewery that produces Oku Harima, one of Himeji's most famous sakes.
The direct sales store also has a very charming atmosphere.
Of course, there's a wide selection of alcohol inside.
The staff are easy to talk to, so you can shop while asking them any questions you might have.
Before COVID-19, I enjoyed sake at a store in Osaka, but I finally got to visit the brewery. A barrel of Okuharima was standing tall on a quiet street.
A sake made only from rice, rice malt, and water. You can really feel their sentiment that "there is no greater skill than handmade sake."
When you enter the store, there are bottles displaying the products lined up, and when you turn around, there is a Galabas-style refrigerator along the wall, so you can enjoy just looking at the sake on display.
This time, I bought four 4-go bottles of draft beer, which I don't usually drink. I immediately took a sip of Miyama Setsuki "Draft" 28BY (lol)
The brewery has used the same handmade production process since 1884 without introducing machinery. Since 2008, it produces only Junmaishu (pure rice sake) using rice, rice malt, and water with no additives. Staff members handle both brewing and sales.
Yes. The direct sales store offers tastings of most Okuharima varieties. The brewery produces approximately 22 to 23 different sake varieties using Yamada Nishiki and Hyogo Yume Nishiki rice.
By car, the brewery is about 10 minutes from Yamasaki Interchange on the Chugoku Expressway or 20 minutes from Yumesaki Smart Interchange. For public transportation, take the Shinki bus bound for Yamasaki from JR Himeji Station on the Sanyo Main Line for approximately one hour, then get off at Anji stop and walk about five minutes. Free parking is available on site for visitors arriving by car.
The direct sales store is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with no regular closing days. Admission to the store is free. Visitors can browse, taste, and purchase sake without any entry fee.
Located in Yasutomicho, which is 90% mountain and forest. The area provides clean mountain water, pure air, and locally grown Yamada Nishiki rice. Cold winter air from the Chugoku Mountains creates optimal fermentation temperatures.
