I hope when you come to Japan you come visit Niigata! I know that when many tourists come to Japan the most common places they tend to go to are Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. But other cities offer a lot of cool experiences as well and Niigata is one of them.

Niigata Prefecture, is on the west coast of the Sea of Japan and it is known for its beautiful nature and rich food culture. It produces a variety of local specialties, including high-quality rice and some of Japan's best sake. With around 90 breweries, this area is dedicated to making exceptional sake that appeals to fans everywhere. Niigata sake's smoothness and refreshing flavor make it a must-try for sake lovers and newcomers alike.

To experience Niigata's rich sake culture, I recommend visiting Imayo Tsukasa Sake Brewery in Niigata.

Their businees operation has been around since 1767.

The staff are very kind and the guide will explain to you carefully about the sake-making process. The brewery offers a wide selection of junmai or "pure rice" sake but I read online that there is one that is made with 100% high-quality Niigata rice and pure water from Mount Suganatake.

Feel free to ask questions and in this tour, you will likely learn a lot. It was fascinating to see how they use leftover bits from the sake-making process and add them to foods like soup. The tour only lasted us about half an hour.

After the tour, you can pay to taste different kinds of sake (I remember it was 1,000JPY). We really enjoyed the tasting and it was a great way to learn the difference with the range of junmai or “pure rice” sake.

You can also buy sake and other related items. I regret that I didn’t buy the Koi Junmai Sake (seen above) because that one was very smooth and tasty.

Note: Highly recommend making the tour reservation ahead of time and select the correct tour for your preferred language. They have tours in Japanese and English only.

Imayo Tsukasa Sake Brewery

Location: 1-1 Kagamigaoka, Chuo Ward, Niigata, 950-0074, Japan

Directions: You can reach the brewery by a short bus ride away (less than 10 min ride) from the JR Niigata Station.

Opening Hours:

For the general public to access souvenir shop and paid tastings: 9am-5pm Everyday

For Scheduled tours, please arrive 15-20 minutes before your scheduled tour starts

Website: Home Page 

Reservations: Book here