Saijo sake town: a walking guide

Saijo, a short train ride east of Hiroshima, packs seven sake breweries into a few streets by the station. Red-brick chimneys, white-walled storehouses and free tastings make it one of the easiest brewery walks in Japan.

Why Saijo is famous for sake

Saijo is often named, with Nada and Fushimi, as one of Japan’s three great sake districts. It is high on a plateau, with cold winters and plenty of good groundwater, but that water is soft, and for a long time soft water was thought to make poor sake. In the late 19th century a Hiroshima brewer, Miura Senzaburo, developed a slow, careful fermentation method for soft water. Hiroshima sake went on to win national competitions, and the region became known for smooth, fragrant ginjo styles.

Saijo was also a post town on the old Saigoku Kaido highway, and its breweries grew up along that road. Today the brewery quarter sits right beside JR Saijo station.

Getting there

Saijo station is on the JR Sanyo Main Line, about 35 to 40 minutes from Hiroshima station by local train. (Higashi-Hiroshima Shinkansen station is a different station some distance away; use Saijo station for the breweries.) The brewery street begins just south of the station, so you can be tasting within five minutes of arriving.

The breweries

The seven Saijo breweries listed by the local tourism authority are Kamotsuru, Kamoizumi, Fukubijin, Kirei, Saijotsuru, Hakubotan and Sanyotsuru. All are within about a ten-minute walk of each other. Most have a shop where you can taste, and several have small exhibitions, courtyards or restaurants. Each brewery draws its own well water, and several let visitors taste the water as well as the sake.

Opening hours, tasting fees and closed days vary by brewery. Our brewery directory lists each one with its source; check before you go, especially on weekdays and in summer.

A suggested route

Pick up a map at the station, then simply loop around the brewery streets: the seven breweries are close enough that the order doesn’t matter much, and you can plan around whichever are open that day. With a tasting at most breweries, allow two to three hours. Look out for bishu-nabe, a local hotpot cooked with sake, for lunch.

The Saijo Sake Festival

Every October Saijo holds its sake festival, one of the biggest sake events in Japan. Around the station, a large outdoor tasting area serves sake from all over the country, and the town’s breweries open their doors. It is lively and very crowded; book accommodation early if you plan to go, and check the official festival site for dates and ticket details.

Guided tours

If you would rather have a guide, tours from Hiroshima visit several Saijo breweries with tastings and explain what you are drinking, and some combine Saijo with nearby Kure. See our Saijo sake tours page for current listings and prices.