Come Visit Us
For more than 180 years, our small, family-run sake brewery has been preserving the tradition of making sake. Located just before the Nikko mountains and the UNESCO World Heritage site, our brewery is an ideal stop for visitors on their way to Nikko.
We have two types of tours. The first is a 45-minute tour, which includes a tour of the brewery and sake tasting. The second is a 90-minute tour, which includes access above the fermentation tank and an in-depth sake tasting session paired with specially selected Japanese nibbles.
About Us
Nestled at the foot of the Nikko mountains, you’ll find the rustic Watanabesahei Sake Brewery.
Founded in 1842, the brewery is currently owned by the seventh generation. For the past 50 years, the brewery has been focused on producing Junmai-shu, pure rice sake with no distilled alcohol.
BREWERY LAYOUT
Have a look at the brewery layout and listen as our audio guides tell you about the different locations inside the brewery.
The Rice Steaming Room
(SPOT 1)
This is the rice steaming room, where the rice used for to brew sake is steamed. About 900 kg of rice can be steamed at one time!
The Seed Mash Room
(SPOT 2)
This room is where the yeast that produces the alcohol for sake is grown. Steamed rice, koji, water, and yeast are added to make a sake starter, which is then placed in a brewing tank and allowed to ferment.
The Fermentation Room
(Spot 3)
This room is where we brew sake. The yeast starter, koji, water, and steamed rice are put into this tank for fermentation.