Sake Tourism in Fukui, Ishikawa, and Toyama:A Tasting Journey to Discover the Spirit of Hokuriku’s Sake

Hokuriku’s breweries carry on their own techniques and traditions, creating a remarkable variety of sake. This time, we highlight three destinations—one in each prefecture—that are especially committed to tasting experiences. Why not enjoy a style of sake tourism that begins with mindful tasting and naturally expands into the region’s culture and landscapes?

• Table of Contents
• Fukui: ESHIKOTO Kokuryu Sake Brewery/ Ishidaya Nizaemon
• Ishikawa: Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute & Touan
• Toyama: Masuda Sake Brewery & Saseki
• Conclusion: Tasting sake means coming face to face with the land

Fukui: ESHIKOTO Kokuryu Sake Brewery/ Ishidaya Nizaemon

A refined sake experience center for adults, built around Japanese sake

ESHIKOTO is a destination for adults centered on Japanese sake, set on a plateau overlooking the Kuzuryu River in Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture. The facility is created by Ishidaya Nizaemon, the company behind Kokuryu Sake Brewery—one of Fukui’s best-known breweries. The name “ESHIKOTO” is a reversed reading of the Japanese word tokoshie (eternity), and also echoes an archaic meaning of eshi—“good.”

Conceived in a setting shaped by the presence of Eiheiji, the head temple of Soto Zen Buddhism, ESHIKOTO was designed as a place where sake and the culture of Fukui and Hokuriku can be experienced in a three-dimensional way—supported by clean water and fertile soil. On its expansive grounds, two buildings opened in 2022: Garyu Building, where fermentation and aging take place, and Shuraku Building, where visitors can enjoy sake and dining. In 2024, additional facilities such as accommodation, a bakery, and a soba restaurant were added.

Surrounded by majestic mountains with the Kuzuryu River flowing just ahead, the site offers beautiful seasonal scenery. 

Not only is the sake from Kokuryu Brewery a must-see, but the cuisine, which makes generous use of locally produced ingredients, and the comfortable presentation incorporating traditional crafts such as Shakudani stone, Echizen washi paper, Echizen chests, and Echizen lacquerware are also must-sees. Eshikoto, where you can fully enjoy the history and climate of this region through sake, can be said to be a place that symbolizes sake tourism.

*Note: The concept of "ESHIKOTO" is for adults to relax and enjoy themselves, so we recommend that people aged 12 and over enter. There are also restrictions such as no pets allowed inside.

Garyu-to(Garyu Building)

With its distinctive triangular roof, Garyu Building serves as an aging cellar where ESHIKOTO’s sparkling sake ESHIKOTO AWA undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle. The building is not usually open to the public, but may be accessible during special events.

A sparkling sake aging cellar inside the Garyu Building.

Ishidaya ESHIKOTO store

This shop, located in the stylish glass-walled building "Sakraku Building," sells sake and traditional crafts. "Ishida " is the name of a sake brewery founded in 1804 during the Edo period in Eiheiji Town , Fukui Prefecture , and is the predecessor of "Kokuryu Sake Brewery." This shop is the center of the sake experience at "ESHIKOTO," and is home to a selection of the finest sake from "Kokuryu Sake Brewery." In addition to standard sake, there are about 15 types of sake on display, including limited edition sake and top-of-the-line sakes that cannot be purchased anywhere else. At the long counter that stretches throughout the store, you can enjoy a tasting comparison for an additional fee.

The details of the space are also part of the experience. The fabric lining the display shelves is made from handwoven cotton sake bags—used to press moromi (fermenting mash)—and dyed with persimmon tannin. Traditional Fukui crafts are woven into the interior as well. In showcases crafted from Echizen chests, you will see (and can purchase) sake vessels such as Echizen ware and Echizen lacquerware, along with wooden coasters made using Echizen chest-making techniques.

The lineup available for paid tastings changes over time.

In the tasting area at the back of the store, you can order a single glass, and tasting sets for side-by-side comparisons are also recommended.

Stylish crafts are displayed in a showcase made from Echizen Tansu chests.

Ishidaya ESHIKOTO store

Sake Building, 12-17 Shimojohoji, Eiheiji cho, Yoshida-gun, Yoshida Fukui Prefecture

TEL 0776-63-1030 [Business hours] 10:00-17:00 (Tasting last order 16:30)

[Closed] Wednesdays (irregular holidays) https://eshikoto-store.shop-ishidaya.com/jp

Apero & Pâtisserie acoya

The Sake Building also houses the restaurant "acoya," which also has a confectionery shop attached. This establishment offers breakfast, lunch, and sweets, all of which are French cuisine and inspired by Eiheiji . Both breakfast and lunch meals are served in a "zen" style, inspired by Eiheiji Fukui Prefecture cooked in a clay pot, and French-inspired dishes with a touch of local flavor from all over Fukui . While advance reservations are recommended, you can also reserve a table and enjoy à la carte dishes paired with Kuroryu sake and drinks. You can also enjoy sweets during cafe time, or take out the Kuroryu Daiginjo soft serve ice cream.

A large Miyama cedar table from Fukui Prefecture is placed in the Chuo of the restaurant, and the floor is made of Shakudani stone. The counter seats by the window also offer a great view.

Meals are served in a "zen" style, inspired by the vegetarian cuisine of Eiheiji. The meal includes a baby leaf salad with a white kelp dressing and crispy fried food, a specialty of Fukui. The freshly cooked rice served in a clay pot is also delicious.

"Acoya" can also be used as a cafe, and the patisserie is open from 10:00 to 17:00, where you can purchase baked goods and other items, as well as takeaway "Kokuryu Daiginjo Soft Serve Ice Cream" and drinks.

Apero & Acoya Pâtisserie

Sake Building, 12-17 Shimojohoji, Eiheiji cho, Yoshida-gun, Yoshida Fukui Prefecture

TEL 0776-97-9396 [Business hours] 10:00-16:00 [Closed] Wednesday https://acoya-fukui.com

Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO

Opened in 2024 in ESHIKOTO’s western area, Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO is a lodging facility themed around “adults” and “authenticity.” The eight villas (three types) are supervised and art-curated by ceramic artist and sculptor Koichi Uchida, each with a distinct concept. The spaces blend high-quality art—from Fukui antiques such as Echizen ware and Echizen lacquerware to modern and contemporary works and folk crafts from around the world. Each villa features a semi-open-air bath (with hot-spring water) and a spacious terrace, with views of the gently flowing Kuzuryu River.

Dining is another highlight. Japanese Cuisine En (by chef Shinpei Komatsu, featured with one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Hokuriku 2021 Special Edition) and French restaurant cadre (run by rising chef Takumi Hamaya, selected by Gault & Millau) operate on a rotating basis, offering a memorable pairing with Kokuryu’s renowned sake. 

For dinner, we had Japanese cuisine at En and French cuisine at Cardre, along with Kuroryu sake.

After dinner, stop by Bar Toki next door for sake cocktails and barrel-aged spirits available only here. For breakfast, return to Apéro & Pâtisserie acoya and enjoy a menu featuring Fukui-grown Koshihikari rice cooked in a clay pot and other local ingredients—served with sweeping views.

Enjoy a sophisticated time at "Bar Toki," which offers a selection of sake, cocktails, and distilled spirits. In the morning, enjoy a Japanese breakfast at "Apero & Pâtisserie acoya."

Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO

10-15-1 Shimojohoji, Eiheiji cho, Yoshida-gun, Yoshida Fukui Prefecture

TEL 0776-50-1323 Accommodation and restaurant reservations TEL 0570-041923 (9:00-20:00)

Check-in 15:00-19:00 / Check-out until 11:00 [Closed] Open all year round https://kanshukuen.com

Soba Yamaya

Surrender yourself to nature in this spot where the clear waters of the Kuzuryu River flow, and enjoy meals made with local ingredients. You can taste three types of 100% buckwheat soba noodles made only from Fukui native varieties, as well as tempura made with local vegetables and other dishes unique to Fukui, along with sake from Kokuryu Brewery.

They serve 100% buckwheat soba noodles without any additives. First, try the first bite with salt to fully enjoy the flavor of the soba. The photo shows a set of Fukui's unique "Grated radish soba" noodles, which comes with an appetizer and tempura.

The building of Soba Yamaya was supervised by Kengo Kuma. The entrance is on the second floor, and from the approach, the pillars and beams that were moved from a 300-year-old traditional Japanese house under a triangular roof catch your eye.

Soba Yamaya

12-3 Shimojohoji, Yoshida-cho , Eiheiji gun , Fukui Prefecture

TEL 0776-50-6860 [Business hours] 11:00-15:00 [Closed] Wednesday https://soba-yamaya.com

HAREYA Bakery

HAREYA is a bakery that offers a “special occasion” experience—hare in the Japanese contrast of hare (special days) and ke (everyday life). Through carefully crafted croissants and sweet bean buns made with Kokuryu sake lees, it shares Hokuriku’s food culture. The croissant is the most popular item; other favorites include the sake-lees anpan and grissini, as well as meal breads made with locally grown Kuzuryu maitake mushrooms. Look for the croissant-shaped sign at the entrance—another design supervised by Kengo Kuma.

The most popular item is the croissant. Other popular items include the bean paste bun and grissini made with Kurotatsu sake lees. The meal bread made with locally grown Kuzuryu maitake mushrooms is also recommended.

The croissant-shaped sign at the entrance to the ESHIKOTO site is the landmark. The cylindrical stone building was designed by Kengo Kuma.

HAREYA Bakery

12-8 Shimojohoji, Yoshida-cho , Eiheiji gun , Fukui Prefecture

TEL 0776-87-0887 [Business hours] 9:00-17:00 [Closed] Wednesday https://www.instagram.com/hareya_bakery

Ishikawa: Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute & Touan

A quiet tasting experience that invites you into the brewer’s philosophy

The Noguchi Naohiko Research Institute was established in 2017 in Kanagasomachi, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, with the mission of researching the techniques and spirit of sake brewing that have been cultivated for over 70 years and passing it on to the next generation, with Komatsu City Naohiko, nicknamed the "God of Sake Brewing," as its chief brewer. While it is a sake brewery, as the name "research institute" suggests, Noto Naohiko, one of the four great master brewers of Ishikawa Prefecture and considered to be the best in Japan, is here to supervise and train the next generation of brewers.

Noguchi Toji was present from the design stage of this facility, and it is an ideal sake brewing facility with the optimal flow of people working together to create the perfect sake brewing equipment. The logo design combines the snake-eye shape of the sake cup used for sake tasting with the initial letter of Noguchi, "no," written in hiragana.

It's about a 20-minute drive from Komatsu Station, and nearby attractions include Kannonshita Quarry and Junigataki Falls. To avoid drunk driving, you'll need to visit by taxi or have someone drive you, but we also recommend combining the experience with a meal and overnight stay at the nearby Auberge Oof , allowing you to enjoy a relaxing stay surrounded by nature.

Reservation-only brewery tour

Tasting experiences are available year-round by reservation, and the tasting course includes a brewery tour. The second floor is a gallery corridor, where visitors can look through glass into the brewing area lined with fermentation tanks, as well as the bottling facility. During the brewing season from winter to spring, you may also see the sake-making process in action. At the back of the gallery, exhibits include timelines and documents tracing Noguchi’s brewing legacy.

Touan - A special tasting experience

After the tour, you move to Morian, a tasting room inspired by a tea house. In this tranquil space, you can enjoy a pairing experience of sake and small bites. Komatsu City, with deep ties to the Urasenke school of tea ceremony, continues to preserve the culture of tea, and that spirit is reflected here. The four-and-a-half-mat counter, plaster walls, the rural landscape framed by the window as seasons change, and the interior materials—such as Noto cypress and Komatsu roof tiles—are all part of the experience.

The tasting experience will allow you to compare six types of sake, including the Limited Edition, which has been carefully selected from the best batches and aged by Noguchi Toji, and Yamahai Junmai Daiginjo, paired with snacks. The softened water (chaser) served with the sake is pumped from underground waters of the sacred Mt. Hakusan. It is also used as the water for brewing sake, and has a mellow flavor.

You can enjoy your sake in beautiful tableware from Ishikawa Prefecture and the Hokuriku region, including sake cups made by Living National Treasure Yoshida Yoshida, a native of Komatsu City , and Kutani ware, as well as sake cups made from Notojima glass and Suzu ware. After you've had a leisurely experience experiencing the essence of sake brewing, you can purchase some sake at the shop where you first checked in. Be sure to take home a souvenir as a memento.

The tableware used is also a pleasure

Tours & Tastings  https://noguchi-naohiko.co.jp/tasting_room

Held three times a day *Reservations required via the website or by phone

① 11:00-12:00 ② 13:00-14:00 ③ 15:00-16:00

Tasting course: 5,500 yen 

Non-alcoholic course (drivers only): 2,000 yen

Minors not allowed. Max 8 guests per session. One course per person. Non-alcoholic course limited to one person per car. 

Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute

1-1 Kannon Shitamachi , Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture TEL 0761-41-1227 [Business hours] 10:00-16:00 [Closed] Wednesday

https://noguchi-naohiko.co.jp

Toyama: Masuda Sake Brewery & Saseki

A tasting experience with up to 100 varieties of “Masuizumi”

Iwase , Toyama City , is home to Masuda Sake Brewery, —the producer of Masuizumi, one of Toyama’s most celebrated sakes. The port town flourished as a transportation hub and a stop for Kitamaebune trading ships. The shipping wholesalers’ district, rebuilt after a major fire in the early Meiji era, still preserves a beautiful historic townscape.

Today, Iwase is known for the creative reuse of historic buildings, with restaurants and craftspeople working side by side and sharing the area’s charm. At the heart of this scene is Masuda Sake Brewery, brewing sake using underground water from the Joganji River system, originating in the Tateyama mountain range of the Northern Alps—right among the stately merchant townhouses of Higashi-Iwase.

Saseki - Taste and purchase "Masuizumi"

Masuda Sake Brewery does not offer brewery tours, but at Saseki, the brewery’s official tasting bar, you can enjoy paid tastings of Masuizumi’s extensive lineup.

Saseki stocks around 100 varieties of Masuizumi—differing in style and vintage. You select bottles directly from the large refrigerator in the store and enjoy them self-serve. Choose from three tasting options at the counter:

Course A: Purchase a wooden masu and pay for each glass (wooden masu 220 yen + sake from 200 yen / wooden masu can be taken home)

B-1 Course: Up to 8 tastings in 15 minutes (¥1,500, mineral water included)

B-2 Course: Up to 15 tastings in 30 minutes (¥3,000, mineral water included)

After receiving an explanation of the rules from the bar staff, you can choose the drink you want to drink from the large refrigerator inside the bar and enjoy it on a self-service basis. Among the approximately 100 types of alcohol, there are some that are not generally available, limited edition drinks that can only be enjoyed here, and rare vintage items.

You take one bottle at a time and enjoy it standing at a beautiful table made from a single slab of wood. When finished, return the bottle and choose the next one. If the selection feels overwhelming, simply ask the staff for recommendations. Snacks that pair well with sake are also available, along with T-shirts and other goods.

Masuda Sake Brewery

269 ​​Higashiiwasecho , Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture TEL 076-437-9916

https://www.masuizumi.co.jp

Saseki

93 Omachi, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture TEL 080-2962-6683

[Business hours] 10:00-18:00 [Closed] Tuesdays *Check the official Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/masuizumi.saseki

Liquor Shop Tajiri Honten

To purchase bottles, head to Tajiri Honten (main store), about five doors down from Saseki. This liquor shop—renovated from a shipping wholesaler’s earthen storehouse—carries a wide selection of sake and wine. The highlight is a large refrigerated cellar occupying about half the shop. After placing your belongings in a locker, you can enter the cellar and choose your bottles. Tajiri’s Masuizumi selection is said to be the largest in the world, including rare vintage bottles that can only be purchased here.

Liquor Shop Tajiri Honten

102 Higashiiwasecho , Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture TEL 076-437-9674

[Business hours] 10:00-19:00 [Closed] Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday) https://www.instagram.com/sakasyotajirihonten/

Conclusion: Tasting sake means coming face to face with the land

Sake tourism in Hokuriku allows you to taste and select sake, and enjoy the aftertaste along with the food and scenery, giving you a three-dimensional view of the region's climate, water, culture, and human activities.

At the sake brewery in Toyama introduced here, you can experience the diversity of sake through highly flexible tastings, at the sake brewery in Ishikawa, you can quietly savor sake while engaging with the master brewer's philosophy, and at the sake brewery in Fukui, you can complete your experience, including food and accommodation, in a space centered around sake.

Even the same sake can have a very different impression depending on how you taste it and how you approach it. That's why a sake trip to Hokuriku offers new discoveries no matter how many times you visit. Starting with tasting, you can get to know the land and the people. Why not add this kind of adult trip to your next Hokuriku trip?