KOKURYU

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 snowmelt water from the highest reaches of the Haku-san mountains. Only the highest quality sake rice manufactured by select contract farmers is used to create Kokuryu's distinctive sake, which is hand-crafted in small batches by master brewers.

Visit the brewery’s new facility ESHIKOTO, designed to enhance the experience of Kokuryu sake, through tastings, gourmet cuisine, as well as exclusive events including tours of the new cellar. A new auberge is scheduled to open at the site in the near future. Picture windows frame artful views of the lush surrounding landscape in the Ishidaya sake shop and restaurant “Apero & Patisserie Acoya,” revealing the seasons of Fukui in all their beauty. There are more than 15 types of rare sake that can only be purchased at ESHIKOTO shop, while at the restaurant you can enjoy creative cuisine made with local ingredients and sip sake with snacks created to match them, all served on Echizen tableware and lacquerware.

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