Sip Sake at the Source

The other day, while sipping on a glass of etherial Wataribune Daiginjo at Fuchu Homare Shuzo in Ibaraki prefecture, my good friend Rick remarked, "There's something so special about drinking sake at the place it was made."

I couldn't agree more. A visit to a sake brewery is about more than the sake itself, although that's undoubtedly the biggest incentive for going. If you're lucky enough to go during the brewing season, you'll gain valuable insight into how it's made and see firsthand just how much human labor goes into sake production. Beyond that -- and even more importantly -- you'll get to know the people that bring this good stuff into the world.

Here in Japan, we're lucky to be able to travel to sake breweries with relative ease. I've been to probably a dozen, and even worked at one, but there are hundreds I'd love to check out some day. Physically inhabiting the space where a sake you love comes from is a vastly different experience than reading about it. You get an intimate understanding of the geography of the land and the history of the brewery; you become immersed in the sights, smells, and textures of the place.

I've always thought it was rather a shame that there's no sake tourism industry in Japan. Many breweries are themselves handsome buildings, set in bucolic surroundings, and a trip almost certainly involves sampling some local delicacies.


That's why I was so excited to hear about the new Sake Tours being offered by my good friend Etsuko Nakamura and my sake sensei John Gauntner. Earlier this month, John made this announcement in his October newsletter:

Sake Tourism has begun!

Want to visit sake breweries in Japan? Now you can!

I am pleased to announce the starting of the Sake World Sake Brewery
Tours program. Now, anyone can access the inner workings of the sake
world. Visit Japan, start off with a bit of formal sake education by
yours truly, then you are off to see several sake breweries while
under the care of an experienced sake-savvy interpreter. Events
include sake-centered meals and other cultural sight-seeing options -
and even a bit of free time. This brewing season, there are two tours
planned:

Tour I: February 23 to 27 in the Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe) area
Tour II: March 15 to 19 in the San-in (Shimane and Tottori) area

For more information, pricing and reservations please go to
www.saketours.com. Participation is extremely limited this season for
the two tours that are scheduled.

This is a terrific chance for anyone who is interested in taking a hands-on approach to sake education, as well as for foodies looking for a taste of real, regional Japan. So start booking that flight...

And look out for my article featuring Fuchu Homare next week in the Japan Times!