Life, Culture, and History in a Brewery Town

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 (bullet trains stop 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 sake breweries, both among the 10 oldest operating in Japan, as well as a traditional soy sauce brewery.

Unlike many sake tours here in Japan which cater to large groups and teach about the basics of sake-making, our tour is more focused on the actual community and history of these local brewers. So, we can meet the staff of these family-owned businesses and taste samples(note: sake and alcohol samples only available for guests age 20 or older).

We’ll also visit the large local Buddhist temple, a central presence in local culture, and local shops such as traditional confectioneries and bakeries.

About Kinomoto Town

Kinomoto-juku is one of Japan’s shukuba-machi (medieval lodging towns along Japan’s historic travel routes) in Nagahama, Shiga, where some of the original centuries-old traditional businesses are still operating today. Breweries for sake and soy sauce were particularly successful here thanks to an abundant underground source of pure water from the Ibuki Mountain Range. Located right at the junction of North, East, and West Japan, this area has cold winters ideal for sake production, and also served as a shukuba trade hub, with ready access to local ingredients.

Situated on the Hokkoku Kaido, meaning the northern Japan trail, the town embodies a unique blend of northern and central Japanese cultures. Much of this local culture and historical charm is still seen here still today, as it has been largely preserved, including local family businesses which have continued traditional operations, without being transformed into tourist attractions.

Meet Local People

Daiko Shoyu (soy sauce brewery)

Established in 1852, Daiko Shoyu has been operating as a family business for 6 generations. Kensuke Osugi is the current successor. Most soy sauce breweries now rely on modern production methods, but Daiko has continued using strictly traditional methods, which is quite rare nowadays.

Yamaji Shuzo (sake brewery)

Founded in 1532, Yamaji Shuzo is said to be the fourth oldest sake brewery still existing in Japan. The brewery and storefront both occupy a beautiful old traditional building. Yuko Yamaji, the wife of the current 13th generation successor, provides us with tastings of some of these different sakes in this tour (age 20 and over).

Tomita Shuzo (sake brewery)

Founded in 1534, Tomita Shuzo is said to be the fifth oldest sake brewery in Japan, after Yamaji Brewery. Their famed sake brand, Shichihonyari (lit. Seven Spears), has won high acclaim both here and abroad and they’re known for integrating a creative edge with respected traditions. The current master, Yasunobu Tomita, believes in local sourcing, making sake with almost all local ingredients from rice to water, for sake that’s both delicious and environmentally conscious.

Tsuruya Pan (bakery)

Founded in 1951, this bakery sells freshly baked breads, sweets, juice, coffee, etc. Beloved by locals, some locals have been coming here for three generations. The shop was founded by Hidetoshi Nishimura, who anticipated the post-war American influence on food culture, and seeing that the town lacked a bakery, decided to open his own, which soon became a local landmark.

Meet your guide right at the ticket gate of JR Maibara Station. By bullet train, Maibara is 1 stop east (20 min) from Kyoto. The guide will then join you for a short local train ride to Kinomoto, the actual tour site (fare paid by customers, but covered by JR Pass if you have one). The tour will conclude at Kinomoto Station.