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Unique Brewery Tour and One-of-a-Kind Sake Tasting Near Tokyo

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Overview

Are you familiar with doburoku, a rare type of Japanese sake? Unlike regular sake, doburoku is made by bottling the unfiltered mash (moromi) while fermentation continues. This makes it very difficult to store, and it's rarely served at restaurants. Yamane Brewery handcrafts this precious sake in small batches. It may be the only sustainable brewery in Japan operating out of a repurposed convenience store. While most breweries use stainless steel tanks, Yamane uses traditional wooden barrels made from local Nishikawa timber. This rare method allows natural microorganisms to thrive, adding unique flavors from the wood and water—resulting in a one-of-a-kind sake every time. During the tour, you can taste three types of this special sake using locally crafted cups made from 100% Hanno soil, a material no longer produced and only available in limited quantities. Hanno is just an hour by train from Tokyo, with easy access to Chichibu, Kawagoe, and attractions like Moominvalley Park.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

After exiting the ticket gate, please find the guide with a tour placard. The meeting time is 1:00 p.m. We’ll take the 1:25 p.m. bus, so the limited express arriving at Hanno Station at 1:08 p.m. is fine, but please arrive a bit early if possible.

Language Offered

English-GUIDE

Itinerary

1. Hannō Station

After exiting the ticket gate at Hannō Station, please look for the guide holding a tour placard. You’ll meet your fellow participants for the day, receive a briefing from the guide, and then walk together to the bus stop. After a short explanation from the guide on how to ride the bus, you’ll travel through the scenic nature of Hannō by bus with the guide.

Duration: 40 mins

2. やまね酒造

First, you’ll visit the home of the head of a traditional Japanese house, full of character and history. There, you’ll receive a lecture on how sake brewing at Yamane Brewery differs significantly from conventional methods. Next, you’ll enter a sustainable sake brewery—possibly the only one in Japan repurposed from a former convenience store. You’ll observe the use of local wooden barrels and traditional brewing techniques, and experience how each batch of sake becomes truly unique through the influence of wood and the coexistence with microorganisms. Afterward, you’ll return to the host’s home for a tasting session using sake cups made from Hannō’s local clay, which is no longer in production. You’ll enjoy three completely different types of sake, including doburoku, a rare and unfiltered sake that is difficult to store and rarely served in restaurants. Each sake is paired with a carefully selected snack to complement its flavor.

Duration: 140 mins