
Things to do in Numata – Nearby Tokyo Interview
Nearby Tokyo talks to Numata city’s local tourist office about things to do in the area, including attractions and local food!
Allison Jeffers
A trip to Japan would be incomplete without sampling some sake. But to many foreigners interested in Japan, sake can seem mysterious and impossible to understand. With labels written in kanji and an array of classifications dependent on things like rice polishing, pasteurization, and the addition of distilled alcohol to the final product – it can be difficult to know where to start.
The best way to improve your understanding of sake is to visit one of the many breweries operating in Japan today. Here’s a guide to four sake breweries nearby Tokyo that offer tours and other services in English.
The Tonoike family has been brewing sake in Tochigi Prefecture since 1829, and Tonoike Sake Brewery’s current brewery location was founded in 1937. Using soft water from Nikko mountain snowmelt and carefully selected rice varieties, this brewery specializes in using traditional techniques to create their award-winning, smooth-tasting sake varieties. In addition to the brewery, visitors can also tour the sake museum on site and visit the tasting room for sake samples.
About 2.5 hours north of Tokyo, the town of Mashiko is well-known for producing beautiful, distinctive pottery. After touring the brewery, why not visit the ceramics museum or spend some time hunting for treasures at one of the many pottery shops in the area?
Link to official brewery tours: Tonoike Sake Brewery Tours
Where: Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture
Access: 17 min walk from Mashiko Station (Google Map)
Best time to visit: All year round (Open 365 days)
Link to official brewery tours: Shimazaki Sake Brewery Tours
Where: Nasu-Karasuyama, Tochigi Prefecture
Access: 10 min walk from Karasuyama Station (Google Map)
Best time to visit: All year round (Open every day except New Years day)
Link to official brewery tours: Watanabesahei Sake Brewery Tours
Where: Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture
Access: 7min walk from Tobu Shimoimaichi Station & JR Imaichi Station (Google Map)
Best time to visit: All year round
Link to official brewery tours: Katayama Sake Brewery Tours
Where: Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture
Access: 10 min walk from Tobu Shimoimaichi Station & JR Imaichi Station (Google Map)
Best time to visit: Between April to November
Did this article pique your interest in sake tourism?
Sake Voyage, a collaboration by these four family-run sake breweries nearby Tokyo, have put together a selection of premium sake experiences aimed at foreign travelers including tours, tastings, dinners, and traditional craft experiences. Visit the website to learn more and book today.
Mashiko / Nasu-Karasuyama / Nikko 1 / Nikko2
Otowa Restaurant (French cuisine) / Ryokan (Japanese kaiseki)
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Sake Brewery in Mashiko
Sake Brewery in Nasu-Karasuyama
Sake Breweries in Nikko
We’ve created a special online guide about … to help overseas visitors explore Mashiko. Please click the image to discover more.
If you found this article useful, please check out more of the must see / must do things nearby Tokyo.
To discover other culture and historical activities nearby Tokyo, make sure to check out our History & Culture page as well.
Nearby Tokyo talks to Numata city’s local tourist office about things to do in the area, including attractions and local food!
The Welcome Suica Card is a type of Suica card (rail travel card) especially for overseas visitors traveling Japan for less than 28days. Discover more here.
Find out about the “My Suica card”, if you are traveling to Japan. It’s a personalized and secure alternative to the standard Suica card, offering the same seamless tap-and-go train access in Japan.
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