Bar Hopping Tour | Gyoza, Sake, and Yatai Course
Tour Itinerary
You can now enjoy a fun night out in Utsunomiya with an English speaking guide. Please click the ‘Book now’ button to book this tour from Enishi Travel.
16:00
- Walk (about 2 min)
16:15
Choose the ones you would like to eat by looking at the Utsunomiya Gyoza Taste Comparison Chart.
17:00
- Walk (about 5 min)
17:05
Arrival at Sasara (Read more)
Taste and compare different local sake from Tochigi Prefecture!
You can choose what you would like to taste among 120 sorts of sake.
What will be your favorite sake?
17:50
Departure from Sasara
- Walk (about 7 min)
18:00
Arrival at Utsunomiya Yatai Yokocho (Read more)
It is like a small village with many stores, each one having its own atmosphere and style.
The main appeal of Yatai Yokocho is that you can communicate with the other customers.
People here are very open, so do not hesitate to talk with them!
Enjoy Japanese-style bar crawling!
19:00
End of the tour
Feel free to enjoy the rest of the night!
Kirasse (Gyoza)
Utsunomiya is famous all over Japan for its gyoza. Here at Kirasse, you can enjoy the gyoza of several famous restaurants, so why not compare them? Gyoza sauce is usually made by mixing soy sauce, chili oil, and vinegar, but some local gyoza chefs use chili oil with vinegar or chili pepper with vinegar. Of course, you can take your first bite of gyoza by eating it as it is, without sauce.
It was fun to compare the gyoza from various famous stores!
It was exciting to see so many gyoza stores!
Initially eaten by men as an appetizer with alcohol, gyoza has established itself as a light meal that can satisfy even those who eat gyoza alone, thanks to the ingenuity of each restaurant. Utsunomiya is the largest consumer of gyoza in Japan. Please enjoy the taste loved by the citizens.
Sasara (Sake)
The sake tasting room Sasara opened on December 17, 1999 to let many people know the characteristics of Tochigi Prefecture’s sake. Each company exhibits three kinds of sake, and in total, you can always compare more than 120 kinds. During the tour, you can compare the drinks in glass sake cups, and drink a total of five cups.
It was awesome to be able to get detailed information about Japanese sake.
I had fun comparing many sorts of local sake!
The most important ingredients for sake are rice and water. These seemingly simple ingredients are used by "toji" (master brewers) to create a variety of flavors. Tochigi Prefecture's local sake has a history of 200 years and is characterized by its authentic taste thanks to its many famous waters. Tochigi Prefecture is blessed with many rivers, including the Kinugawa River which is famous as a hot spring resort. There are other water resources such as the Shojinzawa Spring, which is no. 1 on the list of the 100 best waters in Japan, and the Izuruhara Benten Pond.
Utsunomiya Yatai Yokocho (Yatai)
Utsunomiya Yatai Yokocho is a place where people can talk and relax while eating delicious food in the center of the city. It is also a place where people can get to know each other.
The appeal of the place is not only can you enjoy food and drinks in a unique setting, but also that customers are friendly to each other and to the store staff.
Someone will always try to talk to you, so enjoy the conversation!
It was the highlight of the tour thanks to its unique atmosphere!
It was great tasting food and drinks only available here in this special setting.
I enjoyed chatting with the locals and felt welcomed in the city.