How to Walk Around the Saijo Sake Brewery District - Touring the Seven Breweries in Saijo, Hiroshima Prefecture -

Thank you for joining today's Nagu-Nagu Tourist tour (Nagu-Tour). Today is our sake-soaked project. We will be guiding you through the sake brewery town of "Saijo." Calling all sake lovers!

Sake breweries are often located in old post towns along historic highways. However, in modern times, many are in places with poor transportation access, which is a nightmare for drinkers. But here in Saijo, seven breweries are gathered within walking distance from the station. It is a paradise.

▼ Meet at Saijo Station!

Today, I will introduce how to tour Saijo for those who love sake. First, meet at Saijo Station! The layout of the sake breweries looks like this.

From one end to the other, it is roughly 800 meters. It is a distance you can walk in just over 10 minutes.

Even if it is just a few hundred meters, if you spend 30 minutes at each brewery, you will need three and a half hours for seven breweries. Considering lunch breaks and such, you need at least 4 to 5 hours. You should go ahead and set aside a full day. Spend the whole day enjoying the sake breweries of Saijo.

First, when you arrive at the station, stop by the tourist information center located there. Get a "Town Walking Map" here. A PDF of the map below is also available, but paper is definitely more convenient.

▼ Weekdays are recommended

Also, there is one more important piece of information, which is the business hours information also posted at the tourist information center. Our Nagu-Tour visited on February 10th (a weekday). Actually, you cannot conquer all the breweries on Sundays and holidays. Also, some breweries have shortened hours on Saturdays, so weekdays are recommended.

▼ From far to near

What is great about weekdays is that the furthest brewery, Kamoizumi Sake Brewery, opens early at 8:30 AM. This is because the basic rule of walking around a town is to go straight to the furthest destination first, and then stop by the next destinations in order as you get closer to the station. If you do it the other way around, you get further and further away, you start to worry about your train time, and the end becomes rushed.

Now, let's attack from the furthest brewery as per the standard strategy.
From here on, it's a whirlwind brewery tour!
Are you ready!

▼ Kamoizumi Sake Brewery

I immediately tried various samples. Swayed by the lady's skillful sales pitch, I decided to purchase the "freshly pressed raw sake." It's a limited-edition sake featuring an oyster label, a brand with a robust flavor that perfectly complements the complex umami of oysters. I couldn't help but buy some sake lees as well. They are a brewery that is good at sales.

Actually, there is a downside to visiting on a weekday. Shusenkan, the cafe (sake bar) managed by Kamoizumi next door, is only open on weekends and holidays. Ugh...

I really wanted to do a sake tasting in such a lovely Western-style building...

▼ Fukubijin Sake Brewery

A place for sake is a place for water. On the brewery grounds, there was a woman drawing water from a spring. It seems to be free. When I asked her, she said, "I prefer the spring water here." Even though it's the same water source, it seems to be slightly different at each brewery.
When I tasted the sake, it was a soft, mellow sake, like a woman. I bought a 360ml bottle here.

On the way to the next brewery, I came across a private house with red roof tiles. The characteristic of the streets of Saijo is not just the sake breweries; the red tiles also enliven the town. There was even a sample display on the side of the road.

▼ Kamotsuru Sake Brewery

A major factor that influences the taste of sake is something called "yeast." In the past, each brewery used yeast that grew naturally on its premises. Eventually, people started saying, "I heard that brewery's yeast makes delicious sake. I want some."

This led to the formation of an organization (the Brewing Society of Japan) to centrally manage the delicious yeast. The yeast is managed by numbering them like Thunderbirds (1, 2, etc.). (What? You don't know Thunderbirds?)

Kamotsuru, which I will introduce next, is the brewery where Yeast No. 5 was collected. That means it is a brewery with "delicious" yeast. This brewery is the largest in Saijo. The place that used to be a brewing cellar has been neatly renovated into a tour course. The tasting corner and shop are also well-stocked.

Here, I bought the "Daidai" from their new brand, "Shuchuzaishin." It is a sake to be enjoyed with meals, characterized by a sharp acidity. I want to pair it with cream-based Western dishes.

▼ A Little Break

After visiting three breweries, it's time for lunch before it gets crowded!

This is my meal companion.
To refresh my palate from the sake.

I also recommend the house-roasted coffee after your meal.

Well then, the afternoon session is about to begin!

▼ Saijo Tsuru Brewing

Kirei Shuzo nearby is taking a strict lunch break until 1:00 PM. Let's head to Saijo Tsuru Brewing first.

To everyone who has read this far: with seven breweries and names that overlap like "Tsuru" and "Kamo," it's confusing, isn't it? Unless I introduce characters, no one will remember the names. Just like a certain idol group...

Here at Saijo Tsuru, the tables in the shop (and tasting area) were wine barrels. They have sake that has been aged for a year in wine barrels.

I couldn't get my hands on this FUSION, so I bought a different label. It was a mysterious Junmai sake that had a rich, aged aroma, yet tasted like a Ginjo sake.

Are you full yet?
Please bear with me a little longer. Let's go to the next one!

▼ Hakubotan Shuzo

Actually, the sake breweries in Saijo have a surprisingly short history. They were founded between the Meiji and Taisho eras. Among them, this brewery stands out, boasting 350 years of history. It's a veteran.

I tried a tasting, but there wasn't a label that really clicked, so it was my first pass! I decided not to purchase anything.

▼ Kirei Shuzo

A brewery that actively lets you taste their sake. The shop is also well-stocked with snacks and small items. There are shop-exclusive labels, so be sure to try a tasting.

This is the driest and most hardcore brewery in Saijo. The label I purchased had a refreshing aroma with a slight hint of acidity, and the taste was similarly crisp, yet it had a gentle flavor of rice that gradually spread.

Up to this point, I have visited the six breweries on the east side of the station.
All that remains is the lone brewery on the west side, not quite a "lone house in the middle of nowhere." Let's walk a bit to conquer all the breweries. The path is also a little hard to find.

▼ Sanyo Tsuru Shuzo

A slightly eccentric lady took care of me (lol). When I nervously asked for a tasting, she poured it into a glass sake cup. It's authentic, which is nice.

The lady explains each one to me carefully.
"This one is 88% polished rice."
"Oh, I see."

A flavor condensed with acidity and the umami of rice.
Just like the lady, it's got a strong personality, but it's delicious! (Hey!)

Let me explain rice polishing ratios!
Sake is made using the center of the rice grain. The more you polish it (high polishing ratio), the cleaner the sake becomes. Conversely, low polishing results in a complex flavor (strong personality).

The sake rice is a variety called "Nakate Shinsenbon," which you don't hear much about outside of Hiroshima. Alright, let's have this one with the blue label on the right be the grand finale for today. Since it has a crane mark, it's the "bird" (tori)...

I leave the brewery. The train time is approaching, hurry, hurry. The six sake bottles sway in the backpack on my back. The sake bottles, packed with the brewers' passion, are heavy...

▼ Summary

Overall, there were many brands with a traditional, robust flavor. It's not the light taste that's trendy these days. But, like 90s fashion, I feel the day is near when it will come full circle and be at the forefront again. To pair with food, this flavor is the correct answer.

Finally,

The brands I acquired this time are here.
I threw away the bottle for Fukubijin only... my apologies.

- Next Episode Preview -
I will introduce the izakaya that colored the night in Fukuyama.
You're drinking at night too?! Of course!

( To be continued... )