Nadagogo in Hyogo has been known as the best sake brewery in Japan. Located within a day trip from both Kobe and Osaka, visitors can experience Japan’s uniquely nurtured sake culture through a tour of any sake brewery.
Also, the breweries often have a restaurant or a bar where visitors can taste limited edition sake! Now, let’s enjoy sake tasting with delicious Japanese food.

1. Sakabayashi (Kobe Shushinkan)

Kobe Shushinkan is a sake complex run by the world-famous brewing company of Japanese sake “Fukuju”. There is a brewery that produces sake, a brewery that sells sake, a multi-purpose hall that utilizes the brewery, and Sakabayashi, the brewery’s restaurant.

Sakabayashi is a Japanese restaurant in a wooden storehouse with a charming Japanese atmosphere, set in a Japanese garden decorated with seasonal flowers.

In addition to kaiseki cuisine, the restaurant offers a wide variety of a la carte dishes unique to the sake brewery. The restaurant focuses on ingredients from Hyogo Prefecture, such as sea bream from Akashi in spring, octopus in summer, vegetables from Tamba in fall, and blowfish from Awaji Island in winter. Kobe beef (reservation required), homemade tofu and soba noodles are also available. Enjoy them with a glass of Nama-zake, which can only be tasted at the brewery.

2. Sakuramasamune Museum “Sakuraen”

Sakuramasamune Museum is a comprehensive sake facility that includes a sake brewery restaurant called Sakuraen where you can taste sake with food, a sake bar called Sanbaiya”, an exhibition room introducing the sake brewing process, and also a sake shop.

At Sakuraen, you can enjoy the taste of Nama-zake, which is only served at the restaurant.
The specialty here is a sake nabe(pot) in which 50% of the broth is made with sake, of which you can enjoy 2 flavors at the same time. “Nabe” is one of the Japanese food cultures where soup, vegetables, meat, fish, etc. are simmered in a large pot and eaten together around the table. Come and experience it for yourself!

At the sake bar Sanbaiya, each person can order up to 3 glasses from a total of 25 varieties, so feel free to stop by before or after your meal.

3. Nihon Sakari Sakagura Dori Rengakan

The modern building operated by Nihon Sakari, a sake brewer established in 1889, is the Sakagura Dori Rengakan.

The Japanese restaurant Hanasakari, located inside, offers a wide selection of limited sake. The most popular lunch dish is the “Sake Brewery Shokado.” Shokado” refers to a premium bento box, with kaiseki dishes arranged in four separate bento boxes. Sake Brewery Shokado is a menu of seasonal ingredients utilized in a variety of ways to improve both taste and visual sense.

The store also sells pound cakes with a gorgeous aroma soaked in Souhana, a Junmai Ginjo sake made of Nihon Zakari, as well as sake containers and other souvenirs.

4. Hakushika Classics

Hakushika Classics is a restaurant and store run directly by Hakushika sake brewery. Here, you can purchase store-exclusive Nama-zake and freshly pressed sake by weight, as well as seasonal limited edition sake and original sake containers.

The restaurant offers Juwari soba using buckwheat flour from Tochigi and a Japanese-style course made of seasonal ingredients. The restaurant also offers dishes with a secret sake-kasu broth using sake lees directly from the brewery, therefore be sure to enjoy them with a glass of Hakushika’s famous sake.

Next to it is the Sake Museum (Hakushika Memorial Museum of Sake), which is divided into 2 buildings, Sakagura-kan and Kinen-kan. Here displays the traditional sake brewing process and tools, as well as collections of artworks from the Tatsuuma family.

5. Amakara no Sekijuan

The “Ama-no-Kanjuan”, offering a wide variety of sweets and drinks made with sake, is operated by Oseki brewery which has been brewing for more than 310 years.

Sekijuan is recommended for those who want to taste sake and try rare sake sweets, or just want to take a break!
The cafe corner offers sake sponge cake, ice cream with sake manju kneaded into it, sweet sake, and so on.

The ice cream kneaded with sake manju is made by stirring the sake manju made with Daiginjo, and is a gem with the gentle sweetness of red bean paste and the mellow aroma of sake. Visitors can relax while gazing at the garden. Besides, a sake tasting corner is also available.

6. Nadagogo Sakedokoro

Nadagogo Sakedokoro is a restaurant where you can enjoy sake from 26 breweries in Nadagogo and food based on the theme of “season, local, compatibility, and fermentation”.

The interior of this renovated former sake brewery features high ceilings. The 50-meter-long counter resembles a shrine path, with round lights like lanterns, and photogenic neon decorations making a strong impression!

In the restaurant, you can taste sake from 26 different breweries. “Nadagogo Sakedokoro Set” is highly recommended which includes five types of sake and three types of dishes. The dishes are made of seasonal ingredients from the Kobe area and five brands of sake selected are served together on a traditional wooden tray.

7. Hakutaka Rokusuien

Hakutaka is the only sake brewery in Japan that offers sake to the Ise Shrine. Hakutaka Rokusuien is a facility that houses a store selling sake, sake containers, and snacks, a brewery bar, an exhibition hall for sake making tools, and a traditional restaurant.

At the brewery bar which only opens on weekends and holidays, you can get immersed into this Japanese-style space with a counter made of a single piece of zelkova wood and handmade Japanese paper for the interior. Also, seasonal sake sets or food with sake plans are provided together with other menu items.

Besides, Tokyo Chikuyotei, a famous restaurant that has been loved by literati since the end of the Edo period, is located in the same facility. You can enjoy the famous broiled eel with the beautiful garden view that changes through the seasons. 

Enjoy! OSAKA KYOTO KOBE has the latest and most comprehensive information about Nadagogo ranging from its history to its attractions and sightseeing spots nearby. Don’t miss the other articles that may be helpful for your travel plan.

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10 Japanese Sake Tasting Spots in Nadagogo｜Sake Breweries near Kobe
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