Learn, Savor, and Discover at a Sake Brewery Museum

Sip Japan's signature beverage in Hyogo Prefecture

Blessed with an abundance of the purest water and top-quality rice, Kobe's Nada area has long been renowned for its bold and dry sake. If you wish to indulge curiosity and palate alike, a visit to Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewery Museum ticks the box. Charred wood-paneled walls, tiled roofs, sake barrels, and hanging balls of cedar branches mark the entrance to this timeless brewery, founded more than 360 years ago.      

Step inside to learn about the traditional processes and techniques that are musts for brewing top-rate sake. Indeed, almost all the brewing equipment in this museum is classed as a national Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property and allows visitors to learn more about the lives and work of brewers. Discover impeccable craftsmanship on a tour of the Taru Sake Meister Factory, where aromatic Yoshino cedar is transformed into sake-aging barrels.

Another unmissable feature, the tasting corner, lets you sample various brews, including seasonal and raw unpasteurized sake. A selection of exclusive sake is also available for purchase, with varieties ranging from the refreshingly dry to the complex and full-bodied, with hints of honey apple and white peach. Relax, follow your nose, and enjoy the delightful range of exquisite brews.

Access: From Shin-Osaka Station, take the Kyoto Line rapid train to Sumiyoshi Station (about 25 minutes), then transfer to the Kobe New Transit Line to Minami-Uozaki Station (about four minutes) and walk about five minutes to the museum.

Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewery Museum