Visit Hiroshima's local sake capital “Saijo”

Enjoy local sake from Saijo carefully prepared by a chief brewer with hiroshima's famous water & high quality rice

Saijo's sake brewery street is marked by a red brick chimney. Sake breweries with a beautiful contrast between the white plaster and the black namako-styled walls.

There are sake breweries open on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, so feel free to stop by! Also, every year in October, there is a “Sake Festival” where you can enjoy local sake collected from all over the country.

Why local sake from Hiroshima tastes good

Local sake from Saijo carefully prepared by a chief brewer with hiroshima's famous water & high quality rice

For sake brewing in Hiroshima, clear water that springs from the Chugoku Mountains is used. It is a delicious famous water even if you drink it as it is. The sake rice production area is a mountainous area at an altitude of 200 to 400 meters.

This high quality of “sake brewing” rice is produced in areas where the temperature difference of the day and night is large. It make the rice ripens better. In addition, “Hiroshima Toji” (chief brewer) boasts traditional techniques, and the name "Toji" has been known since ancient times.

A large number of famous sake was born in Hiroshima through the efforts of the Toji group. Hiroshima local sake, which uses medium soft water unique to the land, is soft and has a rich and umami flavor that attracts many people.

Nada's “men's sake”, Hiroshima's “women's sake”

A mellow sake that is rich in umami

Good quality “hard water” called “Miyamizu” springs up in Nada, and this water is used to make “dry sake (men's sake)” with a good taste. On the other hand, in Hiroshima around Meiji 30, a completely original “soft water brewing method” using “soft water” was devised. This is how mellow sake (female sake), soft and rich in flavor, was created.

Sake in Hiroshima has been drunk by many people by offering a new flavor that was not available until then.

“Saijo”, known as the “Sake Capital”

An elegant townscape lined with sake breweries

The Fukujin well used as the brewing water for “Kamotsuru”

“Maruhaku Kawaraban” that describes the sake lined up on the sake brewery street

Sake breweries open on weekends and holidays!

Saijo-cho in Higashihiroshima is famous as one of the leading “sake capitals” in Japan. It is a famous place where the underground water of Mt. Ryuo springs out as well water. Sake breweries still use famous water pumped from wells as brewing water. When sake is brewed, the temperature reaches 4 to 5 degrees Celsius, and it is a town with ideal conditions for sake brewing. On the east side of the station is “Sake Brewery Street,” where red chimneys and white-walled breweries line up. Some sake breweries are open on weekends and holidays so that you can get in touch with sake breweries and sake culture, so please visit them.

Go to the “Nonta no Hitotai” site

“Sake Festival” where more than 1000 brands of sake gather

About 1000 brands of local sake collected from all over the country

Sake barrels can be seen everywhere in the town

Bishunabe (Bishunabe) is known as a dish made by brewers during the brewing season of sake

Events to enjoy local sake

Every year in October, Saijo holds a “Sake Festival” where you can enjoy about 1000 brands of local sake collected from all over the country. It is crowded with more than 200,000 people every year. At the brewery, you can enjoy elaborate sake brewery events and the famous dish “Bishunabe”. It is a festival where you can fully enjoy the sake capital “Saijo”.

Depart Saijo! Souvenirs made with unique sake

Here are the souvenirs of the sake capital!

Recommended souvenirs for those who can't drink alcohol, such as the bean confectionery “Mamesan” sprinkled with Daiginjo sake lees, “Udon” made by kneading sake, soap kneaded with Ginjo sake lees, Japanese sake jelly, and local sake cake It's all there.

Saved by “barrel donation”, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp

The donation barrel of Fukubijin Sake Brewery

“Barrel fundraising” a must-see for Carp fans

At Fukubijin Sake Brewery, there is a large wooden “barrel” that preserves sake on display. The Hiroshima Toyo Carp, which was formed as a civic baseball team in 1949, faced an economic crisis from the beginning of its establishment. In the second year, in order to avoid the crisis of merger and dissolution of the baseball team, a “barrel donation” was held using sake barrels as donation boxes. Many Hiroshima citizens donated money to these barrels, and the Carp was able to survive. The success of the Carp now may be thanks to this big “barrel”!

Access information for visiting Higashihiroshima (Saijo)

How to get there from Hiroshima City to Higashihiroshima City (Saijo)

＜In the case of using JR＞
About 35 minutes from “Hiroshima Station” to “Saijo Station” by JR Sanyo Main Line
About 12 minutes from Hiroshima Station to Higashi-Hiroshima Station by Shinkansen “Kodama”
＜In the case of using a route bus＞
Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes by Geiyo Bus from “Hiroshima Bus Center” to “Saijo Station”
＜When using a private car＞
About 1 hour 5 minutes from “Hiroshima Station” to “Saijo Station” via the Sanyo Expressway