TONOIKE SAKE BREWERY (Mashiko Town)

TONOIKE SAKE BREWERY

Come Visit Us

Tonoike Sake Brewery is a family-run brewery located in Mashiko, a rural town well-known for its pottery, about 2.5 hours north of Tokyo. While you’re here, visit our tasting room, souvenir shop, and small sake museum, where you can learn about sake production. Don’t forget to check out our new sake bar! Come and book a tour, which includes a delicious sake tasting!

About Us

In 1937, the Tonoike Sake Brewery was founded in Mashiko by Itsugoro Tonoike, whose family began brewing sake in Tochigi Prefecture in 1829. The Tonoike Sake Brewery is still run by the Tonoike family today.

In 2019, the brewery ranked fourth in the World Sake Brewery Rankings which compiles scores from domestic and international contests.

BREWERY LAYOUT

Have a look at the brewery layout and listen as our audio guides tell you about the different locations inside the brewery.

SPOT 1 (THe Brewery)

This tank is one of the iconic symbols of Tonoike Sake Brewery. The Sanran and Bo sake brands brewed here have won numerous awards at competitions both in Japan and abroad.

SPOT 2 (Sake Making)

The koji room is the heart of sake production. In the koji room, koji mold is added to the rice and allowed to propagate. The koji turns rice starch into sugar– a very important step when making sake.

SPOT 3 (The Museum)

Tonoike Sake Brewery has a small museum where you can learn about how sake is made and see old tools that were used to make sake in the past. While you’re here, you will have the opportunity to walk around and take photos.