Simply Sake: Tasting and Brewery Tour in Matsumoto

Photo of heartV2
Add to Wishlist
Share
Photo of img box all
Show all photos
Detail
Detail
Detail
Show all photos
Detail
+4
Photo of heartV2

Simply Sake: Tasting and Brewery Tour in Matsumoto

Photo of heartV2
Add to Wishlist
Share
Photo of img box all
Show all photos
Summary
Highlights
Experience Details
Experience Location
Photo of exp duration
Duration
2 hours
Photo of exp guest
Number of Guests
2 - 8 guests
Photo of exp language
Language
English
Photo of exp other
Other
Family-friendly, Couples, Outdoors

Explore a 150-year old sake brewery in Matsumoto, a leading sake brewing district. Tour the brewery, learn about the process from a master brewer, taste a range of sake, then take home a souvenir!

Highlights

  • View the washing and steaming process of sake rice

  • Receive expert explanation of sake's brewing method inside active facilities

Photo of group 14
For each guest that attends this experience, byFood will donate
10 meals
Photo of filled like +
Host will donate 10 meals

Experience Details

Become a sake aficionado with a brewery tour and tasting experience in Matsumoto–one of Japan’s more active sake-producing regions! You’ll tour the 150-year-old brewery, witness the rice polishing and steaming process, learn about the facilities from your expert guide, and then venture next door to a Meiji-era Japanese house for a tasting. But it doesn’t end there! Take home a special gift from the brewery to keep the sake spirit alive.


Make yourself at home in the halls of an active sake brewery that's been operating for 150 years. Founded just after the fall of the last Shogunate, this brewery still relies on pure groundwater pumped from 62 meters below its creaking floorboards.


Discover the hands-on techniques for washing and steaming rice used for centuries. During this tour, you’ll enjoy an introduction to spaces that are typically off-limits, like the muro, where precious koji microbes coax simple rice into the beginnings of shimmering sake.


Next door is a well-preserved, traditional Japanese house that will transport you into the Meiji-era. Explore the spaces where the brewery's founders ate, slept, and entertained guests while seeing artifacts like their writing desk and customer notes. Here, guests can enjoy the brewery's sake on-site, paired with pickles, senbei rice crackers, and other traditional drinking snacks.


After viewing the facilities, you'll visit the official shop and receive some take-home treats, courtesy of your spirited sake hosts! Take advantage of this rare chance to step into the lives, history, and homes of the people who make one of Japan's most unique beverages.


Please note that in case some areas of the brewery are off-limits during your visit, the brewery tour will be shorter, but the tasting section will be extended, and additional drinks will be provided to compensate.

What You Get

English-speaking guide
Sake brewery tour
Sake tasting
Additional purchases in the shop
Transportation to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance

Good To Know

  • Participants must be 20+ years of age to participate in this experience due to the legal drinking age in Japan.
  • Be prepared to wear protective sanitary gear for this experience (provided).
  • Please note that due to cleaning, brewing or other activities, some areas may be off-limits to our tour on the day of your tour.

Meeting Point and Meeting Time

  • The meeting point will be 15-20 minutes from Matsumoto Station. More information and a Google Maps link will be provided upon booking.

Cancellation Policy

Cancel your booking at least 48 hours before the experience start time to receive a full refund.

Read more

Experience Location

Home to several of Japan’s highest mountains, discover the many secrets of Nagano; from world-class pistes to villages frozen in time, and even a troop of hot-tub loving monkeys!

Get Directions

Activity Provider

Sylvain and his team
SinceAug 23, 2023
Photo of faq question markFrequently Asked Questions

Where does the sake brewery experience take place?

The experience takes place at a 150-year-old sake brewery in Matsumoto, a leading sake-producing district.

What will I see and learn during the brewery tour?

Guests will view the washing and steaming process of sake rice, tour the facilities with an expert guide, and learn about sake brewing methods, including areas typically off-limits to the public.

Will there be a sake tasting?

Yes, after the brewery tour, guests will enjoy a tasting of the brewery’s sake, paired with traditional snacks like pickles and senbei rice crackers.

Can I take anything home from the experience?

Yes, guests receive a special souvenir from the brewery to take home.
You may also be interested in these experiences
Photo of star fill v4
4.8 (7)
Absolute Osaka Food Tour
Osaka
3 hours
US$159.81US$177.56
Photo of empty heartV2
US$102.55US$113.94
Photo of empty heartV2
Photo of star fill v4
5.0 (3)
Sushi Cooking Class in Osaka
Osaka
2.5 hours
US$85.46US$94.95
Photo of empty heartV2