Unveil the Secrets of Sake & Soy Sauce in a Brewery Town

Kinomoto is an enchanting sake and soy sauce brewery town nestled in Japan’s picturesque Shiga prefecture. Surrounded by natural beauty, Kinomoto has shied away from catering to the tourism industry by focusing on maintaining the local community and family businesses supporting the town. Due to this, a visit to Kinomoto will be a retreat from the heavily-footed paths of neighboring towns and cities. Your experience will begin at JR Maibara Station (a Shinkansen stop and only 20 minutes from Kyoto), where your guide will be waiting with open arms. Together, you’ll hop on a train toward JR Kinomoto Station. From here, it’s time to tighten your laces as we embark upon a walking tour of the town. Our stops include sake breweries, some of which are among the oldest operating in Japan, and a traditional soy sauce brewery. What sets this tour apart, you ask? Unlike other sake-focused tours in Japan, this experience focuses on the local community and the history of the town brewers. Less big city, more small town. Meet the real people who keep these businesses running as you sample sake and soy sauce in this off-the-beaten-path experience! If joining this tour outside of the winter brewing season, you might be lucky enough to get a peek inside the actual brewing areas at two of our stops (Yamaji Shuzo & Daiko Shoyu). Round off this experience with a visit to a historical Buddhist temple and local shops. If you’d like to level up this experience, we have two optional packages that include a lunch component—check them out below!