ESHIKOTO

Kokuryu Sake Brewery is one of Fukui Prefecture’s traditional sake breweries, established in 1804 between Fukui’s snowy mountain peaks and the Sea of Japan. Close to the ancient Soto Zen temple Eihei-ji, the rich natural environment sustains the brewery with pure subterranean water from the Kuzuryu River. Only the highest quality sake rice, mainly produced by select contract farmers, is used to create Kokuryu's distinctive sake, which is hand-crafted in small batches by master brewers.

Visit ESHIKOTO, KOKURYU GROUP’s new facility designed to enhance the experience of Kokuryu sake through tastings, gourmet cuisine, and exclusive events including tours of the sparkling sake cellar. Recent additions to the facility include the soba restaurant Soba Yamaya, the Hareya bakery, and an auberge, Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO. Picture windows in the Ishidaya ESHIKOTO sake shop and Apero & Patisserie acoya restaurant frame artful views of the lush surrounding landscape, revealing the seasons of Fukui in all their beauty. There are more than 10 types of rare sake that can only be purchased at Ishidaya ESHIKOTO, while in acoya and Soba Yamaya, you can enjoy creative cuisine made with local ingredients and sip sake with small dishes created to match, served on Echizen tableware and lacquerware.

The cellar, called Garyu, is a masterpiece of woodcraft, designed by renowned British architecture firm Simon Conder. The soaring wooden structure has the atmosphere of a church, with an altar-like bar counter made from a single length of cedar that is almost as old as the brewery itself. The cellar holds ESHIKOTO AWA, a sparkling sake that bubbles naturally through secondary fermentation. Visitors can enjoy a tour inside Garyu, which is available by appointment.

※This facility is recommended for guests aged 12 and older.