Welcome to Hiroshima, The "Sake Town"

Dive! Hiroshima Official Guide Dive! Hiroshima Official Guide

If you visit Hiroshima without taking the time to attentively sample the local sakes, then you're missing out. With 50 or so brewers, Hiroshima is one of Japan's three great sake-producing areas, along with Fushimi in Kyoto and Kobe's Nada district. The city is also home to the National Research Institute of Brewing. This one-of-a-kind institution in Japan for studying sake organizes the Annual Japan Sake Awards, where the year's best sake in Japan is selected right here in Hiroshima. Truly, Hiroshima is also a great city of Japanese sake. Hiroshima sake, with its rich flavor crafted from the area's bounteous natural surroundings, is highly popular even among Japanese sake connoisseurs. You really should visit a brewer and experience the world of sake like nothing you'll taste anywhere else.

FEATURE 01 The Home of Ginjo-shu

Saijo, Japan's Sake Mecca

Saijo, the sake district that symbolizes Hiroshima as the "Sake Town," is a mecca of sorts for Japanese sake connoisseurs. You should visit the annual Sake Festival held in October, where you'll experience the real Saijo, the world-class town of sake. Could there be any other celebration of sake that overflows with such passion and love for Japanese rice wine? If you can make it to the Sake Festival, you're sure to have an unforgettable experience.

FEATURE 02 Quest for the World's Greatest Sake

The Best on Earth on a Small Island

The city of Kure is just a laid-back 50-minute ride on a swaying train from downtown Hiroshima. Then, hop in a taxi to the town of Ondo on the island of Kurahashijima jutting out of the Seto Inland Sea. Why? For a small sake brewery on the island. Amazingly, it produces kijō-shu, hailed as the world's finest grade of sake.

FEATURE 03 To the Sake Bar

How to Find the Ultimate in Delectable Sakes

If you want to know how much sake is fascinating, the very first thing you should do is try try some. Koishi Sakebar, an establishment in downtown Hiroshima boasting a fantastic selection, is a great place for everyone, from first-time sake drinkers to experienced connoisseurs !