Takayama sake breweries: tasting in the old town

In the mountain town of Takayama, sake breweries line the old merchant streets of Sanmachi. Look for a ball of cedar hanging over the door: it means a brewery, and very often a tasting inside.

Sake in Hida Takayama

Takayama sits in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, in the old province of Hida. Long, snowy winters keep the breweries cold during fermentation, and clean mountain water and local rice give a rich, full sake. The town once had dozens of breweries; today a handful remain in and around the Sanmachi historic district, many in buildings more than a century old.

Takayama is also famous for its spring and autumn festivals, its morning markets and its Edo-period streets, so a brewery crawl fits naturally into a day of sightseeing.

Sugidama: the sign of a brewery

Hanging under the eaves of each brewery you will see a large ball of cedar leaves, called a sugidama or sakabayashi. Breweries hang a fresh, green sugidama when the new season’s sake is ready. As the months pass it turns brown, a natural calendar telling customers how the sake is maturing.

The breweries

Takayama’s official tourism site lists seven breweries in the old town, and our brewery directory covers each one with details from that source: Harada, Kawashiri, Hirata, Hirase, Niki, Funasaka and Oita. Most are within a few minutes’ walk of each other on Kami-sannomachi and nearby streets.

Tasting arrangements differ. Some breweries pour a few samples free; others charge a small fee, often a few hundred yen for a cup or a tasting set. Several shops also sell sake-based sweets, amazake and sake lees (kasu), and some have small displays of brewing tools.

Brewery open days in winter

From roughly early January to late February, during brewing season, Takayama’s breweries take turns holding open days (sakagura biraki). Each brewery opens its brewing facilities for about a week, with special tastings and freshly pressed sake. It is the best time to see brewing up close; the official tourism site publishes the schedule each winter.

Tips for a Takayama brewery walk

Go in the late morning or early afternoon: brewery shops generally open in the morning and close by late afternoon, and the old town empties after dark. Several breweries close one day a week. Pace yourself if you plan to taste at several places, and keep in mind that Takayama’s old town is also a busy sightseeing area at weekends.

Takayama is about two and a half hours from Nagoya by the JR limited express Hida, and there are express buses from Tokyo (Shinjuku) and Kanazawa. If you want a guided experience, see our Takayama sake tours page.