Sake brewery tour near Tokyo while enjoying a beautiful valley and Sake tasting

Japanese sake (日本酒) is the Japanese traditional rice wine, and the only alcoholic beverage in the world, which can be drunk in a wide range of temperature from 5 to 60 degree, depending on your mood or the season.
Thanks to one of the most popular and well-known Japanese food Sushi, Sake has been recognized by the people from over the sea and its popularity  is now increasing steadily worldwide.

Sake was first made thousands of years ago, and its taste was sweeter and the color was not as clear as now. However after years and years of experiments, its quality has reached to the one we know.

The vest way to know about Sake while you are in Tokyo is to visit Sawanoien (澤乃井園) where has a Sake cellar, shops, restaurants, and also beautiful garden.
It will be one of the best destinations to visit from the heart of Tokyo.

Sawanoi has more than 300 years of history of making Sake, and its quality is enormous despite the fact the place is situated in Tokyo.

There are free guided tour of the Sake cellar, which operates four times a day at 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, and 15:00. The tour required 45 minutes. Unfortunately, the tour is in Japanese only, but there are English brochures available which explain everything. To join this tour, you can purchase the ticket on the spot, but advance booking is recommended since the spaces limited.

Reservation from here

澤乃井園 (Sawanoien)
澤乃井園 (Sawanoien) Opening hours: 10:00-17:00 (16:30, Mar-Nov)

After you get to know about the Sake better, why don’t you do some Kikizake (Sake tasting)? There are 10 different varieties of Sake to try it out and you could check from the color, smell and the taste with a charge.

To get to Sawanoien, take JR Ome line bound for Okutama , get off at Sawai Station, and walk fot 5 minutes. It will take approximately an hour and 20 minutes form Shinjuku.

The History of Ozawa Shuzo Co., Ltd

Sake brewing tours
Sake brewing tours

The place where you are is called Sawai, one long famous for its fresh and abundant water. Our brand name, “Sawanoi” is based on the name of our village.

Ozawa Shuzo Co., Ltd. was established in 1702. In the Japanese system of designating years by number of years into the Imperial reign of the then-Emperor, the year 1702 is referred to as “Genroku 15th.”

This was a time when the Samurai governed Japan.

Sakabayashi

Sakabayashi in front of Brewry
Sakabayashi in front of Brewry

You might notice a ball-shaped object hanging under the eaves of the brewery building. This is called a “Sakabayashi” and made of cedar leaves.

We brew sake from September to middle May. Every year in autumn a new Sakabayashi id made of fresh green leaves to replace the old one, whose color well before turned brown.

The display of the new Sakabayashi informs those seeing it that the first sake of the year is ready for sale.

Genroku-gura

元禄蔵 (Genroku berewry)
元禄蔵 (Genroku berewry)

The first part of the cellar is called a “Genroku-gura.”

Ours was bult at the time of the founding of the company. The Genroku-gura has thick mud walls. This structure prevents the intrusion of light and keeps the temperature inside almost constant without need for heating of cooling. Light and rapid temperature variation adversely affect the brewing sake, so our cellar is ideal.

This part of the cellar was built with traditional Japanese building techniques, affording considerable endurance although made of wood.

The Tank

Porcelain- enameled steel tanks
Porcelain- enameled steel tanks

Traditionally, big wooden casks were used to store sake.
But today we use porcelain- enameled steel tanks, or ones of stainless steel, to assure hygienic conditions inside.

Polishing Rice Grains

Japanese sake is made from rice, the staple grain in the typical diet of japanese people. Rice is central to the very culture of japan and its cooking.
The Sake brewing process starts with polishing rice. The more rice grains are polished through the outer parts into the core, the better quality of the starch obtained.

To make sake with a particularly clear flavor and fragrance, the rice grains need to be polished a lot. In the case of our top-of-the-line sake, ‘Daiginjo Koh’ , the rice grains are polished down until 64 percent of the original weight is removed.

The Well

The Well (Kurano-ido)
The Well (Kurano-ido)

“Kura-no-ido” is one of the main water sources for us.
This well in actually is a tunnel dug almost horizontally 140 meters toward the north, under the big hill behind the brewery.

although dug 170 years ago, it is still very much in use for the clear spring water obtained from it very little iron, manganese or organic matters, and is a most suitable water for brewing sake.


To brew fine sake, good water is essential. And to get good water, the right natural environment is needed. With the advantage of the wonderful environment here, we have worked to improve our skill in making sake as our predecessors did.

And we intend to pass on to future generations this wonderful environment, the skill we have acquired and soul of fine making as we have come to know it.

Kaiseki and Sake brewery tour and Various sake tasting ( 2018.12.16 )

Let’s various seasonal sake tasting!
Yuba kaiseki and brewery tour that is preeminent in the restaurant with sake brewery in Tokyo.


Date:

Sunday, December 16, 2018

13:10 until 14:10


Tour summary:

In this event,
You can eat homemade tofu and yuba kaiseki while watching the beautful valley in the restaurant operated by Okutama ‘s sake brewery, and you can experience a tour to learn about sake manufacturing process at the neighboring 300-year old sake brewe “Sawanoi”.
Of course it is possible to taste the sake fresh from the brewery at the end of the tour.

room of mamagotoya

After the tour,
You can also enjoy a variety of freshly brewed sake while watching clear blue flow of Tama river at “Sawanoi Garden” on the open terrace.,
It is also recommended to visit “Sawanoi Kanzashi Museum” which exhibiting pretty and delicate “Kanzashi Art”.
If the weather is okay, it is also recommended to walk along the stream course to Mitake station next door.

valley of okutama
valley of okutama

How about a luxurious day for relaxing and learning the sake while being healed by magnificent nature that you can’t believe that you are in Tokyo?


Store Information:

Sawanoi Mamagoto-ya
Official website: http://www.sawanoi-sake.com/en
Address: 2-748 Sawai, Ome City, Tokyo
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/HnppXmT9FsP2
Telephone: 0428-78-9523


Menu

· Seasonal sake tasting
· Yuzu juice
· Silk tofu
· Tofu skin and green cooked walnuts
· Unohana, smoothened tofu, Gisei tofu, Petit potato, Pacific saury yawata-role, Hajikami
· Sliced raw fish
Okutama Salmon, Sashimi Yuba, Ashirai Complete
· TOKYO-X Hoba-Miso Grill
· Ginkgo nuts bun with kikuka starchy sauce
· Millet okowa, soup, ko no mono
· Soy milk caramel plum
※ Cooking content may change partly depending on the season.


Entry Fee:

6,500 yen
( If you do not need Seasonal sake tasting 5,500 yen )


Meeting place and time:

Let’s meet at the gate near the ticket gate at 13:10 at Sawai station on the Ōme Line.


Schedule of the day:

Sawai station on the Ōme Line ( 11:40 )

Restrant “Sawanoi Mamagoto-ya” ( 12: 00 )

Sake brewery tour at “Sawanoi” ( 14:00 )

End of this event ( 15:00 )↓


After the event end:

This event is over after the a sake brewery tour ends.
Around this area,there are lots of sightseeing spots such as hot springs, delicious buckwheat shops and cafés please do not hesitate to ask me about this area.


After running:

If you don’t visit hot spring, I will guide you to the most convenient bus stop according to our arrival time.


Waiver of Liability/Disclaimer: Please read before signing up for this event.

These organizers are not professional trained leaders. By participation in this event you agree to not hold these organizers liable for any harm that may come to you, or your property.
Cancellation must be made at least three days in advance of the event, Cancellation after that will be subject to a cancellation fee for the convenience of booking a restaurant.


Organizer information · Inquiries

Secretariat

Tokyo Local Food Group

Inquiry

mail to …


Booking

If you wish to participate please let us know your name and number of people.
Reservation is here >>