Hyogo produces the most sake by volume.

Sake is becoming increasingly popular around the world along with the Japanese food boom. Sake’s elegant aroma and rich taste are attracting attention for how they can elevate the flavors of not only Japanese dishes but a variety of other dishes. In addition to the plethora of flavors and aroma of different sake, you can also enjoy different flavors by varying the temperature of the same sake and drinking it chilled or warm. It is rare to find another alcoholic beverage in the world that can be enjoyed in such a wide range of ways.

While sake is produced in many parts of Japan, Hyogo boasts the largest sake production volume. Hyogo is home to the production areas of Nada, Harima, Tanba, and Tajima, with Nada in particular the site of many of Japan’s famous sake breweries. Fans of sake may have heard of brands such as Hakushika, Hakutaka, Nihonsakari, and Ozeki, all of which are produced at sake breweries in Nada.

Why are there so many sake breweries located in Nada? You will find out the reason after visiting Nada.

A sake brewery built 155 years ago that has been converted into a museum (Sake Museum: Hakushika Memorial Museum of Sake).

The essential ingredients of sake are rice, water, and koji (malted rice), the source of sake’s umami notes. The best sake can only be created by combining the best rice and the best water for sake production.

The rice used for sake is different from the rice that Japanese people consume as their staple food as only sake rice cultivars selectively bred for sake production are used. The king of sake rice is Yamada-nishiki, a cultivar born in Hyogo. The fact that approximately 90% of sake awarded the top Gold Prize presented annually by the National Research Institute of Brewing is made from Yamada-nishiki is a testament to the cultivar’s exceptional quality. Even today, 60% of all Yamada-nishiki is produced in Hyogo.

Yamada-nishiki, a sake rice cultivar used in many famous sake

The next essential component is water. One of the best waters for sake brewing is “Miyamizu,” which is sourced from a famous spring. This water refers to “Nishinomiya-no-mizu” (water of Nishinomiya), which is sourced only from a corner of Nishinomiya City near Nishinomiya Shrine.

Miyamizu was discovered around 1840 by the owner of a sake brewery. The owner had brewed sake in Nishinomiya and Uozaki in Kobe, but the sake produced in Nishinomiya always tasted better. He then transported water from Nishinomiya to Uozaki to brew sake, and after managing to produce the same quality of sake, he realized it was due to the high quality of this water.

Even today, a stone monument with the words “Birthplace of Miyamizu” can be found at the site where Miyamizu was said to be discovered. Nearby, the Miyamizu wells of three sake breweries, Ozeki, Hakushika, and Hakutaka, have been constructed as part of a “Miyamizu park,” which can be seen from the outside.

“Birthplace of Miyamizu” and the Miyamizu park featuring Miyamizu wells

Drink, learn about sake, and craft sake drinking glasses

The brewery that produces Hakushika, whose well is located in the Miyamizu park, is Tatsuuma-Honke Brewing, located a 10-minute walk from the Miyamizu park. This brewery was founded in 1662 and boasts a history of over 360 years. The Sake Museum (Hakushika Memorial Museum of Sake) opened in 1982 to commemorate the brewery’s 320th anniversary and showcases tools and sake barrels that were actually used for sake brewing. Visitors can learn about the traditional sake brewing process in Nada and enjoy videos containing scenes from the past. English commentary and pamphlets are also available, making it easier for visitors to understand the information.

Learn about sake brewing at the Sake Museum.

After learning about sake brewing, it’s time to enjoy lunch and have a cup of sake.
Across the street from the Sake Museum is Hakushika Classics, a restaurant run directly by the brewery. You can enjoy a variety of aesthetically pleasing dishes such as soba, a traditional Japanese dish, and kobachi (dishes served in smalls bowls) adorned with flowers in this relaxing space. Of course, you can also enjoy Hakushika and other sake along with your meal.

Private rooms are available in the restaurant. The shop sells genshu (undiluted sake) that can only be found here.

After your meal, it’s time to catch a glimpse of the everyday life of brewers who run a sake brewery.
Hakutaka, which also has a well in the Miyamizu park, owns a facility known as Hakutaka Rokusuien. Here, you can see a reproduction of a traditional Japanese-style house that used to be the residence of Hakutaka’s brewers. The facility features interesting pieces of furniture that were actually used in the late 1800s and are not commonly seen in Japan today. You can also sample sake for ¥200 per shot at the shop.

Tools that survived World War II are on display here.

A seven-minute walk along Sakagura-dori Street takes you from Hakutaka Rokusuien to Sakagura Dori Rengakan run by Nihonsakari. You can try your hand at crafting sake drinking glasses at this facility. There is a glass studio here where you can craft tumblers and other items by blowing molten glass at around 1,000°C. Even beginners can join in, as the staff here will provide the necessary support. Create a one-and-only glass and make a toast with it! (Reservations required)

Blown glass products you have made can be delivered to your hotel in three to four days.

Taking another ten-minute walk along Sakagura-dori Street brings you from Sakagura Dori Rengakan to Amakara no Sekijuan, an antenna shop of Ozeki. Ozeki is the pioneer of “cup sake,” which is popular overseas as well, and also sells manju and castella sponge cake made with sake. Visitors can sample sake at just ¥100, and they can buy full bottles after tasting. Incidentally, the brewery name Ozeki originated from sumo wrestling, where a large silver cup known as the “Ozeki cup” is sent to the winner of the Grand Sumo Tournament.

Various kinds of sake are on display here.

Round off your trip with a visit to a hot spring to relieve fatigue

Take a short trip to Arima Onsen to round off your one-day sake tour. This historic hot spring area offers two types of hot springs: the brownish “kinsen” (gold spring) and the clear, colorless “ginsen” (silver spring). After immersing your tired body in the hot spring, you can enjoy sake and specially prepared dishes.
Another recommended activity is to take a stroll through the hot spring town surrounded by vibrant nature that changes throughout the seasons.

There are also footbaths you can enjoy for free. ©KOBE TOURISM BUREAU

●Birthplace of Miyamizu
https://www.hyogo-tourism.jp.e.atl.hp.transer.com/feature/jheritage/09/

●Hakushika Memorial Museum of Sake (Sake Museum)
https://www.hyogo-tourism.jp.e.atl.hp.transer.com/spot/0207

●Hakutaka Rokusuien
https://www.hyogo-tourism.jp.e.atl.hp.transer.com/spot/0208

●Sakagura Dori Rengakan
https://www.hyogo-tourism.jp.e.atl.hp.transer.com/spot/0206

●Arima Onsen
https://www.hyogo-tourism.jp.e.atl.hp.transer.com/spot/0110

●Hyogo Field Pavilion: Experiencing the SDGs in Nada-Gogo ~Enjoy the world’s most famous sake brewing area to your heart’s content~
https://expo2025-hyogo-fieldpavilion.jp.e.atd.hp.transer.com/program/19

●Hyogo Field Pavilion: Sake tourism in Nishinomiya and Imazu ~Experience the magical Miyamizu that anchors Nada’s sake brewing industry, the sake culture that has been passed on, and SDGs~
https://expo2025-hyogo-fieldpavilion.jp.e.atd.hp.transer.com/program/12

●Hyogo Field Pavilion: Golden Project, the birthplace of Yamada-nishiki, Japan’s ultimate sake rice cultivar
https://expo2025-hyogo-fieldpavilion.jp.e.atd.hp.transer.com/program/107

●Hyogo Field Pavilion: Enjoy Yamada-nishiki to the fullest
https://expo2025-hyogo-fieldpavilion.jp.e.atd.hp.transer.com/program/64

●Hyogo Field Pavilion: A tour of the terroir of Yamada-nishiki, the king of sake rice
https://expo2025-hyogo-fieldpavilion.jp.e.atd.hp.transer.com/program/92