Life, Culture, and History in a Local Brewery Town: Half-Day Tour Near Kyoto

Kinomoto is a charming old brewery town blessed by an abundant source of fresh water. As a former post station town of Edo era kaido routes, the town has retained much of its historical charm, without heavily catering to tourism, but rather sustaining its natural community and identity of local family businesses that have thrived here for centuries. After meeting up at JR Maibara Station (shinkansen stops here), our guide will lead you on the 24-minute train ride north to JR Kinomoto Station. Here we will give a walking tour including 2 sake breweries, both among the 10 oldest operating in Japan, as well as a traditional soy sauce brewery. We can meet the staff of these family-owned businesses, taste samples, and aside the winter brewing season, if not busy, they'll often show us around the actual brewing area behind the storefront. We'll also visit the large local Buddhist temple, a central presence in local culture, and local shops such as traditional confectioneries and bakeries.