Visit a 300-Year-Old Sake Brewery Near Osaka & Kansai International Airport — A Cultural Heritage Tour with Japanese Sake Learning and Tasting Experience

• Table of Contents
• Why Has This Sake Brewery Continued for Over 300 Years?
• Take a Look Inside the Brewery Tour
• Main Residence Tatami Rooms and Japanese Garden
• Sake Brewery Tour Experience
• Sake Tasting and Shopping at the Direct Sales Shop
• Tour Details
• Inquiries 

Why Has This Sake Brewery Continued for Over 300 Years?

Founded in 1716 in the Senshu area of Osaka, this sake brewery has upheld its philosophy of “crafting Japanese sake that truly satisfies the heart” for more than 300 years.

Japanese sake is made from living ingredients such as rice, koji mold, and yeast, meaning that even subtle differences in rice quality, climate, temperature, and humidity can significantly affect the final flavor. For this reason, the brewery continues to use well water that has been drawn since its founding, harnessing the pure natural water of Senshu. Skilled artisans carefully monitor the fermentation process using their five senses, maintaining a hands-on brewing approach rooted in tradition.

This deep respect for nature, sincere gratitude to the local community of Hannan City, and centuries of accumulated experience are the reasons this brewery has been cherished for generations. In addition, the tour offers a rare opportunity to be personally guided through the brewery by the president or chairman. Listening to stories about craftsmanship, philosophy, and untold episodes from the brewery’s long history—shared directly by its leadership—makes this tour a truly exclusive and unforgettable cultural experience.

Take a Look Inside the Brewery Tour

Here is an overview of what you can expect during the sake brewery tour.

The tour follows this sequence:
Main Residence Tatami Rooms (Registered Tangible Cultural Property) & Japanese Garden→ Sake Brewing Tour Inside the Brewery　→ Japanese Sake Tasting and Shopping at the Direct Sales Shop

For inquiries, please contact us here (Japanese, English, and Chinese).

Main Residence Tatami Rooms and Japanese Garden

The tour begins in the main residence’s traditional tatami rooms. The family lineage of this sake brewery dates back to the Edo period and is now carried on by the 10th generation. The main residence was built in 1916 during the Taisho era and was designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2001.

From the tatami rooms, visitors can enjoy views of a beautifully landscaped Japanese garden, where seasonal colors change throughout the year. The interplay of light and shadow creates a serene atmosphere, making this area a popular photo-worthy spot.

Located just a short distance from Kansai International Airport, this is one of the few places where visitors can experience an authentic traditional Japanese house so easily. Here, guests can immerse themselves in local culture and Japanese sake traditions at the same time, making it a truly rare and enriching experience in the Osaka Senshu region.

At this stage of the tour, visitors begin by watching an introductory video explaining the fundamentals of Japanese sake brewing. The video is available in English, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese, making the experience accessible and comfortable for guests from a wide range of language backgrounds.

By gaining a basic understanding of brewing principles, ingredients, and the crucial role of koji mold in advance, visitors can better appreciate the brewing processes they will observe later inside the sake brewery. This pre-learning step enhances the overall tour experience, allowing guests to enjoy the sake-making journey with deeper insight and understanding.

Next, visitors are guided to the Western-style room and the traditional tea room, where they can further appreciate the unique charm of the main residence. Throughout the building, handmade flat glass from over 100 years ago—characterized by its distinctive wavy texture—has been carefully preserved.

This subtly uneven glass gently diffuses natural light, creating a soft, warm glow within the rooms. The delicate fluctuations in light and texture offer a quiet beauty that reflects the craftsmanship of the era, allowing visitors to experience the refined atmosphere of a historic Japanese residence in a truly authentic way.

The Western-style room retains its original stained glass windows, and together with the high ceilings, it is filled with the romantic atmosphere of the Taisho era. Soft light passing through the stained glass enhances the space, creating a refined and elegant mood.
Stepping into this room feels almost like traveling back in time to early 20th-century Japan, offering visitors a quietly memorable experience.

Next to the Western-style room is a traditional tea room, and the contrast between the two spaces enhances the character of the residence. Inside the tea room, there is a koto (traditional Japanese string instrument) once played by the chairman’s grandmother. During the tour, the chairman performs a short piece, offering visitors a quiet and personal glimpse into the history of the house.

From the tea room, visitors can enjoy a view of the beautiful Japanese garden. Carefully maintained in every detail, the garden offers a calm and peaceful scene that gently puts the mind at ease.

Sake Brewery Tour Experience

Now, it is time to begin the full sake brewery tour.

Following the actual visitor route inside the brewery, this section clearly explains how Japanese sake is made, step by step. Even with a short visit, guests can experience the real workings of a traditional Japanese industry. Let’s take a closer look at this fascinating process together.

1. Rice Polishing｜Refining the Rice to Shape the Sake’s Flavor

The process begins with rice polishing, where the outer layers of the rice grains are carefully milled away to remove impurities and adjust the rice polishing ratio.
The degree of polishing has a significant impact on the sake’s aroma and taste, making this an essential preparation step that directly influences the final quality of Japanese sake.

2. Rice Washing with Well Water

Rice is gently washed using well water from Senshu, with absorption levels carefully controlled down to the second. What makes this process exceptional is the continued use of a well that has flowed since the brewery’s founding. Few breweries retain such wells today, making it rare to see a real working well inside the brewery. The water, naturally filtered over many years from rain in the Izumi Mountains, is a treasured source essential to sake brewing and has been carefully preserved across generations.

3. Steaming the Rice｜Masterful Skill in Controlling Steam and Timing

Rice is carefully steamed by expertly judging steam pressure and steaming time to achieve a light, fluffy texture. After steaming, the rice is quickly spread out and cooled, bringing it into an optimal condition for koji cultivation and fermentation. This is a critical step that directly influences flavor development and fermentation quality in the sake‑brewing process.

4. Koji Making to Koji Completion｜The “Magical Moment” When Sake’s Character Is Born

Steamed rice is carried into the koji room and sprinkled with koji mold, marking the start of two days of careful cultivation. Temperature and humidity are finely adjusted as the rice gradually develops aroma and rich flavor. This series of almost mystical moments is considered one of the most important stages in sake brewing, where the unique character of each sake truly comes to life.

During the tour, visitors are introduced to yeast through microscope photographs, revealing forms invisible to the naked eye. Seeing how these tiny organisms create the aroma and flavor of sake sparks excitement and opens a window into a fascinating, hidden world.

5. Preparation: When the Ingredients Come Together and Fermentation Begins

At this stage, the yeast starter (shubo), koji mold, brewing water, and steamed rice are combined in a fermentation tank. Using the traditional three-step brewing method (sandanjikomi), the volume is gradually increased over time to ensure a stable and balanced fermentation.
Over the next 20 to 40 days, the mash is carefully monitored. The tank is mixed daily using paddles (kai-ire), and temperature control is precisely managed to guide the fermentation process. Inside the tank, layers of flavor and umami slowly develop, creating a sense of anticipation as the sake begins to take shape.

The fermentation tanks are lined up in the very center of the brewery, a space often described as the “heart” of sake brewing, where Japanese sake quietly comes to life. Each tank develops at its own pace, producing subtle differences in aroma and fermentation activity. As you move closer, you can hear the gentle bubbling sounds of fermentation, a sign that the sake is steadily maturing.
Being able to observe these delicate changes up close is a rare and immersive experience, one that can only be enjoyed through a brewery tour.

If you visit during the brewing season, you may even have the opportunity to personally stir the sake inside the fermentation tank. As you do so, you can experience the aroma of the fermenting moromi mash and sense subtle changes in temperature, engaging all five senses.
This hands-on activity offers a rare chance to experience part of a brewer’s daily work, providing deeper insight into the craftsmanship and care that go into sake production.

The tour area also features specially designated photo spots for visitors. With the fermentation tanks as a backdrop, you can capture a memorable photo that feels as though you’ve stepped directly into the world of sake brewing itself.
Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to create a lasting keepsake of your visit.

6. Pressing (Jōsō): Reducing Unwanted Flavors with a Horizontal Press

Once fermentation is complete, the thick, cloudy sake mash is gently pressed using a rare horizontal pressing machine, a distinctive feature of this brewery. Traditionally, vertical presses were more common, but horizontal presses apply pressure more evenly and gently, helping to minimize harsh flavors and achieve a clean, refined, and transparent taste.
This is the moment when sake finally emerges in its finished form—an exciting and memorable stage in the brewing process.

7. Bottling: A Careful Process That Protects Sake from Light and Oxygen

Freshly pressed sake is extremely delicate. Exposure to light or oxygen can easily alter its flavor, so at the brewery, great care is taken to minimize these influences as the sake is carefully bottled one by one.
Sealed in a clean, controlled environment, the sake finally reaches its completed form. Understanding the many steps that lead to this moment makes each bottle you hold feel even more special and meaningful.

Sake Tasting and Shopping at the Direct Sales Shop

While the impressions from the tour are still fresh, it’s time for the highlight: a sake tasting experience (available to guests aged 20 and over). This is a luxurious moment to enjoy sake that has been carefully crafted by the brewery with dedication and expertise.
The adjoining shop offers a wide selection of brewery-exclusive sake, seasonal releases, and beautifully crafted sake vessels that make perfect souvenirs of your visit. These items are also highly appreciated as gifts for family and friends overseas, making this the ideal way to conclude the tour.

Tour Details

Experiences that allow you to view an active sake brewery from such close range are extremely rare. This is a precious opportunity to sense the presence of the craftsmen themselves—from their careful movements to the subtle aromas that fill the space.
In addition, you can explore historic cultural assets located within the brewery grounds, gaining a deeper appreciation of the traditions that have been passed down through the local community over generations. We invite you to enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience, available only here.

Program: Sake Brewery Tour

Price: ¥2,300 (tax included) per person

Group Size: From 1 to 40 participants

Duration: Approximately 90 minutes

Reservation Deadline: Applications must be made at least two weeks in advance

For inquiries, please contact us here (Japanese, English, and Chinese).

Inquiries 

1. Please fill out the necessary information in the form below and contact us.

2. We will contact you from "industrial.tourism@nankai.co.jp" within 3 business days.

Please feel free to contact us!

From consultations about available dates to detailed tour information, please feel free to contact us!