[Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture] Taste “SAKE” created by five sake breweries in Iwakuni, the village of famous water!

Iwakuni is home to the beautiful clear Nishiki River, which has been selected as one of the 100 best waters. It is a treasure trove of water, which is the lifeblood of sake brewing and seems to have been chosen from heaven. Iwakuni's local sake continues to use this famous water to create a uniquely mellow taste.

Here we will introduce Gozo, a sake brewery in Iwakuni City.

• Table of Contents
• Five sake breweries in Iwakuni
• ①Yaoshin Sake Brewery
• ②Sakai Sake Brewery
• ③ Murashige Sake Brewery
• ④Horie Bar
• ⑤Asahi Sake Brewery
• This is the place where you can taste the sake of “Honke Matsugane” Iwakuni Gozo all at once!

Five sake breweries in Iwakuni

The oldest of the five sake breweries in Iwakuni has a history dating back to the Edo period. In the mid-Showa period, there were more than ten breweries, but with the rise of beer and shochu, the number has decreased, and today there are only five breweries.

Seiryu produces many famous sake brands such as Dassai and Gohashi, all of which are highly acclaimed nationwide. Of course, even if they are from the same region, each region has its own unique taste. Compare the drinks and taste the characteristics of each. We also recommend this way of enjoying it.

Above all, Iwakuni's local sake, which is used with meals, goes perfectly with Iwakuni's food. To fully enjoy Iwakuni's food culture, Iwakuni's local sake is essential.

In addition, in recent years, sake has been gaining acclaim not only in Japan but also overseas. Iwakuni's local sake is highly popular overseas due to its high quality.

①Yaoshin Sake Brewery

We pursue sake brewing that spares no effort in creating the optimal environment for microorganisms, such as changing the tank size for each fermentation stage. ``Gangi'' is an alcoholic drink that is dedicated to bringing out the potential of the material itself called rice. We aim to make sake that feels like it was always there, a gift of nature rather than something artificial.

[Direct sales office]

Address: 3-18-9 Imazucho, Iwakuni City

Phone number: 0827-21-3185

Business hours: 8:00-18:00 (10:00-17:00 on Saturdays)

Closed: Sundays and holidays

Click here for Yaoshin Sake Brewery's homepage

②Sakai Sake Brewery

Founded in 1871, Sakai Sake Brewery is located in a location blessed with soft underground water from the Nishiki River. We are particular about using rice grown in Yamaguchi Prefecture, employing a brewer from within the prefecture, and one of our attractions is the construction of wooden barrels made from trees felled in the mountains of the Yoshikawa feudal lord. The representative sake, ``Gokyo'', was named after the elegance of Kintaikyo Bridge and with the hope that it would become a bridge between hearts. Thanks to the finely honed sensibilities, tireless efforts, and technical refinement of our master brewers, we have gained support from all over the country.

Sakai Sake Brewery is also available for tours (reservation required)

●Period: 2nd and 4th Saturday of May (13:00-16:00), June-September (please inquire for dates and times)

●Fees: Free

●Capacity 20 people (minimum number of participants 2 people)

●Inquiry: 0827-21-2177 (10:00-17:00) *Reservation required at least 10 days in advance

*The contents of the sake brewery tour are as of January 2024. Please note that this may change in the future, so please contact us in advance.

[Direct sales office]

Address: 1-1-31 Nakatsucho, Iwakuni City

Phone number: 0827-21-2177

Business hours: 8:00-17:00

Regular holidays: Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays

Sakai Sake Brewery's homepage is currently undergoing server system maintenance.

③Murashige Sake Brewery

Murashige Sake Brewery is located in the mountains about 5km upstream from Kintaikyo Bridge, one of Japan's three most famous bridges. Surrounded by rich nature, it is the perfect location for sake brewing, taking advantage of its cool, cool climate and abundant water. With the motto "Sake brewing begins with environment creation," we are particular about making sake with free ideas that emphasize the flavor that can be enjoyed with meals.

[Direct sales office]

Address: 5-101-1 Gosho, Iwakuni City

Phone number: 0827-46-1111

Business hours: 9:00-17:00

Closed: New Year's Day (January 1st to 3rd)

Click here for the Murashige Sake Brewery homepage

④Horie Bar

This sake brewery has been in Nishiki town since the Edo period, surrounded by 1,000 meter high mountains and the Nishiki River, the longest clear stream in the prefecture. Using local raw materials such as Nishikicho's high-quality and abundant water, which has been selected as one of the top 100 famous waters, and sake rice "Yamada Nishiki", and various brewed bacteria, we use traditional techniques passed down from generation to generation since the Edo period and the latest technology. We continue to pursue the essence of the world.

[Direct sales office]

Address: 6746-1 Hirose, Nishikicho, Iwakuni City

Phone number: 0827-72-2527

Business hours: 9:00-12:00/13:00-17:00

Regular holidays: Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays

Click here for the Horie Sakaba homepage

⑤Asahi Sake Brewery

Asahi Sake Brewery Co., Ltd., established in January 1948 in the mountains of what is now Shuto-cho, Iwakuni City, is a sake brewery that proposes an enjoyable life with sake. Dassai, our signature sake, was born out of a desire to create even better sake through change and innovation, without being content with the words of tradition and handmade, and is said to be the spark that sparked the sake boom overseas. . We are currently continuing to take on various challenges, such as allowing our employees to brew sake in all seasons.

Asahi Sake Brewery also offers factory tours (reservation required)

●Period: Fridays (from 2:00 p.m.), Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (from 10:00 a.m., from 2:00 p.m., except from December 30th to January 3rd)

●Fees White coat fee: 300 yen Paid tasting fee: 300 yen

●Capacity: Up to 5 people at a time

●Inquiries: 0827-86-0120

*The contents of the sake brewery tour are as of January 2024. Please note that this may change in the future, so please contact us in advance.

[Direct sales office]

2128 Dakgoe, Shutocho, Iwakuni City

Phone number: 0827-86-0800

Business hours: 9:00-17:00

Closed: January 1st

Click here for Asahi Sake Brewery's homepage

This is the place where you can taste the sake of “Honke Matsugane” Iwakuni Gozo all at once!

Each sake brewery has a direct sales office, but at the tourist exchange center "Honke Matsugane", which is about a 3-minute walk from Kintaikyo Bridge, you can sample Iwakuni Gozo's famous sake starting from a sip (from 100 yen each). You can enjoy it together with tasting of specialty products (from 100 yen each). The building, which is a former merchant's house with traces of the late Edo period, has been turned into a tourist exchange center and has been designated as a nationally registered tangible cultural property.

*Honke Matsugane does not sell local sake.

Matsugane also offers armor experience (advance reservation required, fee) and bicycle rentals (charges apply).

Click here for the main homepage of Matsugane

summary

This time, we introduced "Iwakuni local sake," which is a specialty product representing Iwakuni City and is now attracting attention from all over the world. Please come and visit Iwakuni and enjoy tasting the sake produced by Gozo Iwakuni.

While tasting local sake, be sure to experience the charm of Iwakuni City.