Explore Hokuto — The Land of Water and Breweries
Nestled between the Yatsugatake Mountains and the Southern Alps, Hokuto is known as “The Mountain of Water.” The city is blessed with crystal-clear springs, including Ojiragawa—selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Waters. This pure water nurtures four unique sake breweries, each crafting flavors that reflect the land. Join a scenic drive to discover Hokuto’s springs, valleys, and sake culture—an experience that brings you closer to the spirit of this water-rich region. This one-day route takes you...
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It is located in the northwest of Yamanashi Prefecture, on the border with Nagano Prefecture. It is a vast area surrounded by 3,000m-class mountains such as the Yatsugatake Mountains, the Southern Alps, and Mt. Kinpu, and overlooking Mt. Fuji to the south. It is about a two-hour drive from Tokyo, about an hour from Mt. Fuji, and about an hour from Matsumoto, and is easily accessible, so many tourists visit throughout the year. It is also known as a "village of famous water," and three places have been selected as one of Japan's 100 famous water sources. This bounty of water is loved as natural water, and the area boasts one of the largest production volumes of mineral water in Japan. Sake is also produced from the pure water, and you can enjoy beautiful natural scenery and rich food.
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Table of Contents
- 1.Discover Sake Breweries – Local Flavors Cultivated by Hokuto’s Famous Water –
- 2. Sacred Water Spots — The “Life-Giving Water” Behind Hokuto’s Sake
- 3. Roadside Station Highlights — Take Home Local Sake & Pure Spring Water
- 4. Complete Your Sake Brewery & Natural Spring Tour in One Day!
- 5. Summary
1.Discover Sake Breweries – Local Flavors Cultivated by Hokuto’s Famous Water –
Hokuto City is dotted with unique sake breweries that use underground water from the Southern Alps and Yatsugatake mountains. Enjoy the different aromas and flavors from each brewery and experience the depth of the local sake brewed from these famous waters.
Yamanashi Meijo Co., Ltd. (Shichiken)
Located in Hakushu, a land of renowned spring water at the foot of the Southern Alps, this sake brewery has inherited its brewery and techniques since 1750. Driven by the blessed "water, techniques, and people," the brewery aims for unique heights to create new value in sake, and is committed to "brewing sake for people living in the present."
The premises include a shop called "Sakedokoro Onakaya" where you can sample sake, a shop selling sake waress made by local artists, the "Imperial temporary residence" where Emperor Meiji stayed during his imperial tours, and "Kura Cafe," a cafe space where you can enjoy sweets made with koji sugar, creating a space where you can leisurely savor sake and culture .
Business hours: Sakedokoro Onakaya 9:00 - 17:00 (Tasting 9:00 - 16:30)
Closed: January 1st
Brewery tours: In addition to sake tasting, tours of Shichiken's breweries, including the sake brewery, temporary residence, shochu storage facility, and Gozensui water, are held about twice a month. For more details, please see the Yamanashi Meijo Co., Ltd. website.
Tasting: Paid tastings are available at the adjoining shop “Ohnakaya”
Brewery opening: Usually held in mid-March.
Please check the Yamanashi Meijo Co., Ltd. website for details such as the date and time.
English support: Not available
Just a few minutes' walk away is Daimin, a restaurant directly managed by Shichiken, which serves traditional sake brewery cuisine made using Shichiken's fermentation techniques.
Here you can also drink Shichiken's "brewing water."
Yamaki Sake Brewery
Founded in 1862, this historic brewery continues to brew sake using the same traditional handcrafted techniques. Using underground water from Yatsugatake mountains and locally grown rice, they brew "Kai Otokoyama" using traditional techniques. This sake, which makes the most of the blessings of nature, is known for its refreshing taste and rich aroma.
Business hours: 9:00 - 17:00
Closed: Sundays and public holidays
*Please contact us in advance.
Factory tour: Please contact them for inquiries.
Tasting: Not allowed
Brewery opening: No plans
English support: Not available *English pamphlets available
Takenoi Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1865, this brewery has been carrying on the tradition of sake brewing for 160 years. They brew sake using underground water from the foot of Yatsugatake Mountains and yeast made from flowers of each season. They use different yeasts for each season, such as cherry blossoms in spring and sunflowers in summer, allowing you to enjoy the aroma and flavor of each season. At the on-site "NOBU SAKAGURA Cellar Door," you can purchase sake exclusive to the brewery and enjoy pairings of sake with light snacks in the adjacent dining area.
Business hours: 9:00 - 17:00
Closed: January 1st to January 3rd, August 15th
Factory tours: Not available
Tasting: Paid tastings are available at the adjoining dinning space.
Brewery opening: No plans
English support: available
Tanizakura Sake Brewery Ltd.
Since its founding in 1848, this sake brewery has grown alongside the pure spring of the southern foot of Yatsugatake mountains. The brewery handles everything from rice polishing to sales, and its sake is known for its soft, savory flavor, born from the bounty of nature and the skill of its artisans. Under the direction of the chief brewer, who also serves as chairman of the Nanbu Toji Association（※）, the brewery continues to take on new challenges while preserving tradition. The on-site direct sales store stocks all of the brewery's brands, and you can enjoy free tastings of some of the products .
（※）The Nanbu Toji Association is an organization of master sake brewers based mainly in Iwate Prefecture, dedicated to preserving and developing the traditional brewing techniques of the Nanbu Toji, one of Japan's three major Toji groups.
Business hours: 8:30 - 17:30
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays
Factory tours: Not available
Tasting: Free tasting of some varieties is available at the attached shop. *Tasting may be difficult depending on the number of people.
Brewery opening: Scheduled to be held on March 7th-8th, 2026.
Please check the website for details.
English support: Not available
2. Sacred Water Spots — The “Life-Giving Water” Behind Hokuto’s Sake
Hokuto's local sake cannot be discussed without mentioning its famous springs. The underground waters of the Southern Alps and Yatsugatake mountains have been refined over many years and passed down as the "water of life" that brews sake. By touring the springs, you can experience the purity of the waters and get in touch with the origins of sake brewing.
Ojiragawa Valley, Sengabuchi
The Ojiragawa Valley , which flows from Mount Komagatake in the Southern Alps , is a famous spring that was selected as one of Japan's 100 famous springs in 1985. Among them, the particularly beautiful Sengabuchi is a place where the water shines a deep emerald green. This pure water is also known as the brewing water for the Shichiken sake brewery , and is the source of the clear-tasting sake . Come experience the origins of Hokuto's sake culture while surrounded by the silence and sounds of water.
Sanbuichi Yusui Spring
This spring water , designated as one of the Ministry of the Environment's 100 Famous Waters in 1985 as part of the "Yatsugatake mountains Southern Foot Plateau Spring Group," is one of Hokuto's most famous springs . Since ancient times, a system was created to divide the water equally into three directions for agricultural use, and this system is still carefully preserved today as a symbol of the wisdom of sharing water. The underground water of the Yatsugatake Mountains , which originates from this spring , is also a source of blessing that supports the sake brewing of sake breweries in the southern foot of the Yatsugatake mountains: Takenoi Sake Brewery, Yamaki Sake Brewery, and Tanizakura Sake Brewery . Experience the origins of Hokuto's local sake culture while tasting this famous water .
Otaki Yusui Spring
In 1985, this Yusui, along with Sanbunichi Spring, was certified as one of the Ministry of the Environment's 100 Famous Springs as part of the "Yatsugatake mountains Southern Plateau Spring Group ." The water temperature is approximately 12°C throughout the year. This abundant water source, with a daily output of approximately 22,000 tons, has long supported the lives of local residents. Even today, this important spring is used for irrigating rice paddies and cultivating rainbow trout.
3. Roadside Station Highlights — Take Home Local Sake & Pure Spring Water
Roadside Station Hakushu
Starting with Hakushu's local sake "Shichiken," the shop offers a wide selection of local products and seasonal vegetables that are unique to Hakushu, which boasts renowned water . There is also a water pump where you can draw underground water from the Southern Alps for free, making it a popular spot for tourists and locals alike to draw water.
Roadside Station Minami Kiyosato
Located at the gateway to the Kiyosato area, this popular spot boasts beautiful scenery. The shop stocks a wide selection of local sake from Hokuto City's sake breweries . You can also enjoy a stroll through the air on the lift car, which offers panoramic views of the Minami Alps and the Mount Yatsugatake.
Roadside Station Kobuchisawa
Surrounded by the magnificent scenery of the southern foot of Yatsugatake mountains, this popular multi-purpose hot spring resort offers a wide range of dining and shopping options . The shop stocks a wide selection of local sake from breweries in Hokuto City . The resort also boasts a natural hot spring called "Enmei no Yu"（※） on the premises, making it an appealing spot to casually soak in during your trip.
（※）“Enmei-no-Yu” literally means “Hot Spring of Longevity.” It is believed to promote health and long life.
4. Complete Your Sake Brewery & Natural Spring Tour in One Day!
8:30 Depart from Chuo Expressway Kobuchizawa Exit
🚗 About 30 minutes
9:00 Arrive at Ojiragawa Valley Parking Lot
Approximately 15 minutes on foot
9:15 - 9:45 Ojiragawa Valley Sengafuchi
Approximately 15 minutes on foot
10:00 Arrive at Ojiragawa Valley Parking Lot
🚗About 10 minutes
10:10 - 10:40 Roadside Station Hakushu
🚗About 5 minutes
10:45 - 11:25 Yamanashi Meijo Co., Ltd. Sake Shop Onakaya
5-minute walk
11:30 - 12:30 Daimin - Lunch -
Business hours: Lunch 11:30 - 15:30 (L/O 15:00)
🚗About 15 minutes
12:45 - 13:15 Yamaki Sake Brewery
🚗About 10 minutes
13:25 - 14:00 Takenoi Sake Brewery
🚗About 10 minutes
14:10 - 14:40 Roadside Station Minami Kiyosato
🚗About 15 minutes
14:55 - 15:25 Tanizakura Sake Brewery
🚗About 10 minutes
15:35 - 16:05 Sambuichi Yusui Spring
🚗About 10 minutes
16:15 - 16:45 Otaki Yusui Spring
🚗About 10 minutes
16:55 - 17:25 Roadside Station Kobuchisawa
Recommendation: At the end of your trip, you can soak in the famous spring waters of the natural hot spring "Enmei no Yu" on the premises to soothe your fatigue!
🚗About 5 minutes
17:30 Arrive at Chuo Expressway Kobuchizawa Entrance
5. Summary
This tour, which visits sake breweries, famous water spots, and roadside stations, is a special trip that lets you experience the charms of Hokuto's nature, culture, and cuisine in one day. Be sure to experience the " story of Hokuto's sake and famous water ," woven by its abundant water, on site.
It is located in the northwest of Yamanashi Prefecture, on the border with Nagano Prefecture. It is a vast area surrounded by 3,000m-class mountains such as the Yatsugatake Mountains, the Southern Alps, and Mt. Kinpu, and overlooking Mt. Fuji to the south. It is about a two-hour drive from Tokyo, about an hour from Mt. Fuji, and about an hour from Matsumoto, and is easily accessible, so many tourists visit throughout the year. It is also known as a "village of famous water," and three places have been selected as one of Japan's 100 famous water sources. This bounty of water is loved as natural water, and the area boasts one of the largest production volumes of mineral water in Japan. Sake is also produced from the pure water, and you can enjoy beautiful natural scenery and rich food.
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