Sake Tour & Tastings with a Sake Brewer in Kobe (Nada)

One in every four bottles of sake sold in Japan comes from Nada Gogo, a cluster of towns near Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture, and for good reason. This region has mastered the craft of sake-making over centuries, becoming a lead sake producer, no mean feat in a country where sake is a national drink. The brewery-lined, fragrant streets of Nada Gogo draw throngs of sake lovers eager to try the finest local brews made with traditional techniques, and you, too, can explore the area's sake legacy — with a sake brewer himself. Your first stop will be Kiku-Masamune, a brewery founded in 1659 that still crafts much of its sake artisanally. One of the methods they use is aging sake in barrels, and you might be able to see how these barrels are made (subject to availability). Here, you will taste two premium kinds of sake before you go to the Sake Museum of Hakutsuru, which houses an impressive array of traditional brewing tools and memorabilia, where you will taste more sake made with two different kinds of rice. Before your tour ends, you'll enjoy a sake tasting at a standing bar from one of Japan's longest-standing sake makers, Kenbishi, a unique historical site where sake heritage comes to life. Experience flow: - Meet your guide, Andrew, at Uozaki Station - Explore the area on foot as your host fills you in on the history and developments of the region - Visit Kiku-Masamune, a historical brewery where you can see traditional brewing and craftspeople making sake casks by hand (subject to availability) - Visit Hakutsuru, Nada's largest sake producer, and enjoy a guided tasting - End the tour at Nada Sake Tokoro, a bar and brewery unlike any other. Try a specially crafted comparative tasting of three types of Nada sake. As you explore the traditional streets of Nada and visit its centuries-old breweries with Andrew, you'll gain a new appreciation for the craft, learn what makes the area's sake so remarkable, and fill your cup with different kinds of delicious, fresh sake.