Hi,I'm Keisuke.
I participatedt in a tour that going to SAKE breweries in Nada area,Kobe(the area is No.1 SAKE production in Japan) planning by "Kampai Sake Tours"( former "English for Osaka" ) . It is sooo exciting for people who love alcohol !
"Kampai Sake Tours" plans various tours and events for travellers, ex.Osaka sightseeing , trying experience "Sado"(Japanese Traditional tea ceremony) and so on.
On the day, I gathered at the Cafe (Lingua World Cafe) located in Osaka Tanimachi 9th Street. Seigo Nishikawa who will do tour guide will pick you up.
Mr. Nishikawa who is the president of Kampai Sake Tours has been traveling around the world as a backpacker once, and now he works to offer Osaka sightseeing tours and Japanese culture experience events (such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, handmade udon, Japanese drums etc) for foreigners as well as English conversation workshops and overseas culture experience (afternoon tea · cooking etc.) for Japanese.
And those members who participated in the tour of the SAKE breweries this time are the people here
They are from the USA, from Mexico, and from Japanese, me.
First of all, I went to Ishiyagawa station by the Hanshin Train. It was lunch time before walking around the breweries.
Mr.Nishikawa recommended diner, Maruyasu-shokudo.
Everyone is happy with Japanese Local Food! Americans said "Good!"and"Delicious!!" about Natto and Sake Soup. However, nobody ate "Takuwan"!?
Our stomach became full, and the breweries headed for the first time,
☝ Izumi Shuzo with a history of over 250 years. Yuzu SAKE was very popular amoung the ladies.
☝ The second one is the Kobe Sakyusakan.
It is famous as a brewery making SAKE that will be held at the Nobel prize dinner party where visited by His Highness Princess Takamado and the former French President Mr. Shiraku's wife.
☝ The third one is Hakutsuru, brewery manufacturer with the No. 1 production volume in Japan. Here, Mr. Nishikawa's commentaries in English was getting to gather for foreign tourists.
☝ 4th is Kikumasamune.
A brewery sticks to making Kimoto. For the Imperial Household Agenda, President Obama also drunk in 2014.
※ Kimoto manufacturing is a process of making rice wine which raises alcohol making yeast, from water, rice and rice koji, by traditional manual work for 4 weeks. (From ※ Kikumasamune HP)
☝ The last, fifth one is Hamafukutsuru.
At the tasting section, Mr. Yonji who has more than 60 years career will explain about alcohol. Besides the quality of SAKE as well as the new type SAKE, The brewery is trying to make the new type SAKE,sherry,white wine and red wine mixed with SAKE. We can enjoy innovative SAKE.
So far, despite doing more than 20 kinds of tasting, everyone is fluent in SAKE to the last without changing one's face!
Mr. Nishikawa was a bit tired after drinking the day before?
(Mr.Nishikawa said "It is the weakest sake brewing guide in Japan ... it is me that I am always drunk ... ...")
The weather was nice on this day, and the cherry blossoms were also the best sightseeing, so I think that everyone who participated was really enjoying the tour of SAKE breweries. Also, Mr.Nishikawa's English guide will explain about SAKE in an easy-to-understand manner, so everyone was interestingly listening to the explanation.
Of course not only foreigners but also Japanese people can participate in the tour so please join those who are interested!
※As of October 2018,the contents of tour seems to be partially changed. For details, please check from "Kampai Sake tours".
For details of the tour → Kampai Sake Tours
日本語版はこちら→日本一の酒どころ・神戸 灘 酒蔵巡りツアーに参加してきました。