Umeshu Making and Brewery Tour in Wakayama｜Just 30 Minutes from Kansai Airport

• Table of Contents
• Craftsmanship at a Historic Sake Brewery — Where Kishu’s Finest Ingredients Meet Traditional Brewing Techniques
• Tour details
• Take a Peek Inside the Tour!
• Umeshu (plum wine) making experience
• Brewery Tour
• How to contact us

Craftsmanship at a Historic Sake Brewery — Where Kishu’s Finest Ingredients Meet Traditional Brewing Techniques

In Wakayama, Japan’s premier plum-growing region, a long-established sake brewery is sharing the charm of its craft with the world through hands-on umeshu-making experiences.

With roots as a soy sauce brewery, this unique maker has mastered fermentation and brewing techniques, now combining local Wakayama ingredients with its expertise to produce health-focused foods and beverages. Among its standout creations is umeshu made from premium Nanko plums, which proudly holds Japan’s first Geographical Indication (GI) designation for liqueurs — a mark of authenticity recognized worldwide. Actively expanding into global markets, this exceptional umeshu is a true taste of Wakayama’s heritage.

This special program offers a rare opportunity to see, learn, and experience the umeshu-making process firsthand. Don’t miss the chance to explore the craftsmanship that Wakayama shares with the world!

With its unique roots as a soy sauce brewery, the company now leverages the fermentation and brewing techniques cultivated there to manufacture and sell health foods that combine Wakayama Prefecture grown ingredients with its own unique technology. Among these, its "umeshu" (plum wine) made with Nanko plums from Wakayama Prefecture is a noteworthy product that was the first liqueur in Japan to receive geographical indication (GI) designation, and is actively expanding into overseas markets. This time, we introduce a valuable program where you can see, hear, and experience the "umeshu making process" that Wakayama proudly presents to the world.

Tour details

This program includes a plum pickling experience and a tour of a sake brewery. In the plum pickling experience, you can make plum wine or plum syrup using Nanko plums from Wakayama Prefecture. You can take home the bottle you made on the same day! You can carefully observe the aging process at home over the next six months.

During the brewery tour, you can see the sake and plum wine manufacturing process up close, and also enjoy tastings and shopping.

• Contents/Price: ① Plum wine making experience course (including brewery tour) 2,600 yen (tax included) per person

② Plum syrup making experience course (including sake brewery tour) 1,900 yen (tax included) per person

*For international customers, only the plum wine making experience course is available for booking.

• Number of people: 1 to 80 people. *Please contact us if you have 81 or more people.

• Duration: Approximately 60-90 minutes

• Closed: Every Monday (If Monday is a public holiday, closed on Tuesday)

• Application deadline: 1 week prior

For inquiries, please click here (Japanese, English)

Take a Peek Inside the Tour!

Now, let's take a look at what the guided tour was like. The tour followed this schedule:

Plum pickling experience ⇒ Factory tour

Umeshu (plum wine) making experience

First, we'll have a plum pickling experience.

The plums used in this pickling experience are Nanko plums, a specialty product of Wakayama Prefecture. While plums distributed in supermarkets within the prefecture are generally up to size 3L, for this experience we will provide larger 4L size Nanko plums. This is a precious plum pickling experience that can only be made possible by a long-established sake brewery that has direct connections with local producers.

No need to worry if it’s your first time — the process is easy to follow with a step-by-step video guide. The video includes subtitles in English, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish, ensuring that international guests can enjoy the experience comfortably.

This experience uses frozen plums, so you can enjoy umeshu-making any time of year. Don’t miss the seasonal highlight: in June, enjoy a special workshop using freshly harvested Nanko plums — a rare opportunity to experience Japan’s plum culture at its peak. Availability depends on the harvest, so the program ends once supplies run out — but if you’re lucky, you’ll get to prepare your umeshu with that year’s freshly picked Nanko plums!

You can learn interesting facts about plums and tips on how to pickle them deliciously, allowing you to enjoyably discover the charm of plums in depth.

You can take home the plum wine or plum syrup you've made, bottle and all!

For international guests, we provide bottles sized to meet airline checked baggage requirements, so you can bring this unique cultural experience back with you as a souvenir. At home, watch your umeshu or plum syrup slowly mature over time and enjoy the transformation. It’s your very own one-of-a-kind “My Umeshu” — a taste of Japan you crafted yourself.

Brewery Tour

After the plum pickling experience, let's take a look around the sake brewery and see the craftsmanship of the artisans at work.

First, let's look at the "umeshu brewery" where plum wine is made. Wakayama Prefecture accounts for about 60% of Japan's plum harvest. In the brewery, there are 42 huge tanks, each holding about 200,000 plums or 8 tons, where the plums harvested in early summer are transformed into amber-colored plum wine.

Through the small windows on the tanks, you might catch a glimpse of the plums steeping inside! Every stage — steeping, stirring, extraction, separation, and aging — requires precise timing. Dedicated umeshu master brewers carefully monitor each process, ensuring the perfect balance of flavor and aroma as the plums transform into exquisite plum wine.

From pickling and stirring to extraction, separation, and maturation, timing is crucial at every stage, and a master brewer specializing in plum wine carefully monitors the condition of the mixture at each step as the plum wine is made.

The brewery grounds also feature an exhibition space, where you can learn about the philosophy behind sake-making and the dedication of the craftsmen. Through curated displays and video presentations, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation of the traditions and techniques that have been passed down since the brewery’s founding.

You can also take commemorative photos using traditional brewery props — a perfect way to capture your experience!

Between brewery tour stops, take a relaxing stroll through the expansive Japanese garden. Originally built in 1952 as a reservoir for cooling water used in shochu production, the pond is now a serene waterscape where about 100 vibrant koi carp swim gracefully. Two elegant white swans, carefully cared for, have become the garden’s iconic residents. If you’re lucky, you might even witness swans or wild birds gliding across the water — a truly picturesque moment.

The gift shop offers a wide variety of products — from alcoholic beverages made with Kishu’s finest ingredients to health-conscious foods. Whether you’re looking for a treat for yourself or a thoughtful gift for someone special, you’ll find plenty of options. Take your time browsing and discover your favorite items to bring home.

A special experience packed with the charm of a traditional brewery — touch the craftsmanship, savor the aromas, and enjoy the flavors. International visitors are warmly welcome for tours and study visits. *Please note: an interpreter is required.

How to contact us

1. Please fill out the required information in the form below and submit your inquiry.

2. We will get back to you from "industrial.tourism@nankai.co.jp" within three business days. 

For inquiries, please click here (Japanese, English)

Please feel free to contact us for anything from checking available dates to getting detailed tour information!