Beginning in the Fushimi district of Kyoto, your guide will take you through the streets of this charming, sake brewing district where you will see various traditional and modern sake breweries and get a sense of the area’s 400-year-old sake brewing tradition.
During the tour, you will eat a seasonal lunch in a local restaurant before heading out to the Gekkeikan Okura Sake museum where a brief history of Japanese sake can be understood. Since they have been making sake since 1637, with a nearly 4 centuries-old process, you will really see how things have been done for generations. You will also get a chance to see the Sake brewery and the traditional brewing process which involves a combination of water, malt, yeast and steamed rice.
You will visit both a small and large sake brewery to get a sense of the differences of scale and of course try their sake and other products.
At the Gekkeikan Okura sake museum we will also get a chance to see the sake brewery. Our guests will get a sense of the traditional brewing process which involves a combination of water, malt, yeast and steamed rice. The different cut or variety of rice plays a big part of the distinction of the sake. If a grain of rice has less grain shaved off, it is more bitter. Generally, the more grain is shaved, the more sweet it will taste.
Tour Highlights:
• 3 hour tour of Kyoto’s Fushimi district
• Visit a small and large sake brewery to get a sense of the differences of scale and try their sake and other products.
• Guided tour at the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
• See how a brewery works and get a sense of what goes into production of the world’s best sake.
• Browse the shops at a local shopping arcade for souvenirs unique to the area.
Audio: English