Which sake breweries can you visit in Japan?
We list 31 breweries that welcome visitors in 10 places; 28 accept walk-in visits and 5 state free entry. Details come from each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, with a source link.
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Tokyo (1)
| Brewery | Visit | Admission | Tasting | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozawa Shuzo (Sawanoi)小澤酒造 澤乃井 | Reservation | Tour ¥700 per person (about 40 minutes) | Not stated | Not stated |
From each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, checked 18 October 2026. Click a brewery for hours and the source link.
Kanagawa (1)
| Brewery | Visit | Admission | Tasting | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kumazawa Brewing Company熊澤酒造 | Reservation | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
From each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, checked 18 October 2026. Click a brewery for hours and the source link.
Kyoto (Fushimi) (2)
| Brewery | Visit | Admission | Tasting | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum月桂冠大倉記念館 | Walk-in | ¥600 (age 20+), ¥100 (13–19), free for 12 and under | Yes, tasting after the museum | Not stated |
| Kizakura Memorial Museum (Kappa Gallery)黄桜記念館 Kappa Gallery | Walk-in | Free | Not stated | Tuesdays (Wednesday if Tuesday is a holiday), 31 Dec and 1 Jan |
From each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, checked 18 October 2026. Click a brewery for hours and the source link.
Kobe (Nada) (5)
| Brewery | Visit | Admission | Tasting | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum白鶴酒造資料館 | Walk-in | Free | Yes (sake-tasting area with freshly pressed, unpasteurised sake) | Summer holidays and New Year period |
| Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewery Museum菊正宗酒造記念館 | Walk-in | Free | Not stated | Tuesdays (Wednesday if Tuesday is a public holiday) and New Year holidays |
| Sawanotsuru Museum沢の鶴資料館 | Walk-in | Not stated | Yes, free tasting of unpasteurised genshu in the museum shop | Wednesdays (open if a public holiday), Obon and New Year |
| Hamafukutsuru Ginjo Kobo浜福鶴 吟醸工房 | Walk-in | Not stated | Yes, paid tasting counter (last order 16:15) | Mondays (open on public holidays) |
| Kobe Shushinkan (Fukuju)神戸酒心館 | Reservation | Sake tour with souvenir ¥4,500 per person; longer tours ¥30,000 and ¥60,000 | Included in tours | Not stated |
From each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, checked 18 October 2026. Click a brewery for hours and the source link.
Nishinomiya (Nada) (1)
| Brewery | Visit | Admission | Tasting | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hakushika Memorial Museum of Sake白鹿記念酒造博物館 | Walk-in | Paid (combination ticket for both buildings) | Not stated | Tuesdays (next business day if Tuesday is a holiday), 3 days in summer, year-end and New Year |
From each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, checked 18 October 2026. Click a brewery for hours and the source link.
Nara (1)
| Brewery | Visit | Admission | Tasting | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harushika Saka-Gura Shop春鹿 酒蔵ショップ | Walk-in | Not stated | Yes: buy an original glass for ¥500 and taste 5 sakes | Obon and year-end |
From each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, checked 18 October 2026. Click a brewery for hours and the source link.
Saijo (Higashihiroshima) (7)
| Brewery | Visit | Admission | Tasting | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamotsuru Sake Museum Shop賀茂鶴酒造 | Walk-in | Free | Yes (tasting available) | Summer and New Year holidays |
| Kamoizumi Sake Brewery賀茂泉酒造 | Walk-in | Not stated | Yes (tasting available) | Not stated |
| Fukubijin Sake Brewery福美人酒造 | Walk-in | Not stated | Yes (tasting available) | Not stated |
| Kirei Sake Brewery亀齢酒造 | Walk-in | Not stated | Yes (tasting available) | Not stated |
| Saijotsuru Sake Brewery西條鶴醸造 | Walk-in | Not stated | Yes (tasting available) | Not stated |
| Hakubotan Sake Brewery白牡丹酒造 | Walk-in | Not stated | Yes on weekends (tasting available) | Not stated |
| Sanyotsuru Sake Brewery山陽鶴酒造 | Walk-in | Not stated | Yes on weekdays (tasting available) | Closed on the weekend shown (17–18 Oct 2026) |
From each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, checked 18 October 2026. Click a brewery for hours and the source link.
Takayama (7)
| Brewery | Visit | Admission | Tasting | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harada Sake Brewery原田酒造場 | Walk-in | Not stated | ¥200 | Open all year |
| Kawashiri Sake Brewery川尻酒造場 | Walk-in | Not stated | Paid: sake ¥500, plum wine ¥330 | Open all year |
| Hirata Sake Brewery平田酒造場 | Walk-in | Not stated | Paid (credit cards accepted) | Tuesdays |
| Hirase Sake Brewery平瀬酒造店 | Walk-in | Not stated | Free | Sundays |
| Niki Sake Brewery二木酒造 | Walk-in | Not stated | Paid | Occasionally |
| Funasaka Sake Brewery舩坂酒造店 | Walk-in | Not stated | Free (the expert tasting bar is paid) | Open all year |
| Oita Sake Brewery老田酒造店 | Walk-in | Not stated | Free | Occasionally |
From each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, checked 18 October 2026. Click a brewery for hours and the source link.
Suwa (Kami-Suwa) (5)
| Brewery | Visit | Admission | Tasting | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masumi (Cella Masumi)宮坂醸造 セラ真澄 | Walk-in | Not stated | Yes (tasting salon); also one of the five Gokuraku Set breweries | Not stated |
| Maihime Brewery舞姫 | Walk-in | Not stated | With the ¥4,000 Gokuraku Set: 4–5 sakes (20 cc each) | Not stated |
| Reijin Brewery麗人酒造 | Walk-in | Not stated | With the ¥4,000 Gokuraku Set: 4–5 sakes (20 cc each) | Not stated |
| Honkin Brewery本金酒造 | Walk-in | Not stated | With the ¥4,000 Gokuraku Set: 4–5 sakes (20 cc each) | Not stated |
| Yokobue Brewery伊東酒造 横笛 | Walk-in | Not stated | With the ¥4,000 Gokuraku Set: 4–5 sakes (20 cc each) | Not stated |
From each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, checked 18 October 2026. Click a brewery for hours and the source link.
Sapporo (1)
| Brewery | Visit | Admission | Tasting | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chitosetsuru Sake Museum千歳鶴 酒ミュージアム | Walk-in | Free | Yes: free sample at the well station; a paid counter pours premium sake | New Year holiday |
From each brewery’s official site or the local tourism office, checked 18 October 2026. Click a brewery for hours and the source link.
What “walk-in” means here
A walk-in brewery lets you visit without booking: you can look round a museum or shop and, in many cases, taste sake at the counter. Some tastings are free and some cost a few hundred yen. Breweries marked reservation only accept visitors who book ahead. Groups (often 10 or more people) usually need to book even at walk-in breweries.
Facts on each brewery page link to their source. Opening days change for holidays and the brewing season, so check the source link before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit a Japanese sake brewery for free?
Yes. Several big breweries run free museums, including Hakutsuru, Kiku-Masamune and Sawanotsuru in Kobe, and many breweries in Saijo and Takayama let you taste at the shop counter.
Do I need to speak Japanese to visit a brewery?
No. Museums often have English signs or leaflets, and shop staff are used to visitors. A guided tour helps if you want detailed explanations.