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Try Your Hand at Sake Brewing in Saku, Home to 13 Historic Breweries

Saku City, Nagano

Area Highlights

Nestled amidst rugged mountains and lush forests, the picturesque Saku region in eastern Nagano Prefecture is renowned for its pristine water and fertile soil, ideal for sake brewing and agriculture. Home to 13 historic sake breweries, each producing sake with a distinct flavor, Saku invites you to experience its idyllic lifestyle. Discover the timeless traditions of sake brewing and farming that have been passed down through generations in this charming region.

Access

From Tokyo Station to Sakudaira Station by JR Hokuriku Shinkansen (80 minutes), then from Sakudaira Station to Usuda Station on the JR Koumi Line (25 minutes)

Contact

Kurabito Friendly Saku Sake Brewery Agritourism Promotion Council

Recommended Accommodation

Sake Brewery Hotel® KURABITO STAY

Experience a unique stay at the private Sake Brewery Hotel®, located on the premises of a 330-year-old sake brewery. Enjoy the blend of tradition and modernity in a beautifully renovated 100-year-old, 158㎡ old private house. With Karuizawa just a 40-minute drive away, the hotel’s convenient location makes it perfect for visiting nearby wineries, bakeries, and gardens. Guests can savor sake available only in the Saku region. Vegan and halal options are also available.

  • Address :

    623-2 Usuda, Saku-shi, Nagano Prefecture

  • Telephone Number :

    +81 (0)267-74-0588

  • Telephone Languages :

    Japanese, English

  • Access :

    A 20-minute drive from Sakudaira Station/A 20-minute walk from JR Usuda Station/7 km from Saku Minami IC on the Chubu-San Expressway

  • Check-in :

    From 2:30 p.m.

  • Check-out :

    10:00 a.m.

  • Rates :

    ¥49,800 per night without meals (private room) (up to 3 persons; for 4 or more persons, an extra ¥12,800 per person)
    *Discounts are available for consecutive nights and repeat guests.

  • Accepted Credit Cards :

    VISA/Mastercard/AMEX/JCB

  • Bedroom :

    Lockable, Japanese futons

  • Bathroom :

    Unisex shower room, women’s only shower room, lockable, no bathtub (available from check-in until check-out)

  • Toilet :

    Western style

  • Meals :

    Breakfast

  • Wi-Fi :

    Available

Recommended Restaurant

Cuisine Lemon

Indulge in Japanese cuisine handmade by a Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award-winning chef who has trained at high-end traditional Japanese restaurants in Ginza and Roppongi. His vibrant dishes feature local ingredients such as Shinshu salmon, prunes, and Saku carp. Enjoy luxurious creations that showcase the chef’s skills paired with Saku's locally brewed sake. Vegan and halal options are also available.

  • Address :

    2179-5 Usuda, Saku-shi, Nagano Prefecture

  • Telephone Number :

    +81 (0)267-82-2325

  • Telephone Languages :

    Japanese

  • Access :

    A 7-minute walk from Sake Brewery Hotel® KURABITO STAY

  • Opening Hours :

    11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

  • Closed :

    Sundays and occasional Mondays

  • Cuisine :

    Japanese cuisine

  • Foreign Language Menu :

    Available

  • Accepted Credit Cards :

    VISA/Mastercard/AMEX/JCB

Recommended Restaurant

Big Ben

‘Mushiri’ is a beloved local delicacy from the Usuda area of Saku City, enjoyed for over 50 years. This delectable roast chicken is seasoned, slowly grilled to perfection, and served off the bone. In addition to ‘Mushiri’, Big Ben also offers a variety of other dishes, including pizza and set meals.

  • Address :

    140-11 Usuda, Saku-shi, Nagano Prefecture

  • Telephone Number :

    +81 (0)267-82-2325

  • Telephone Languages :

    Japanese

  • Access :

    A 4-minute walk from Sake Brewery Hotel® KURABITO STAY

  • Opening Hours :

    11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.

  • Closed :

    Irregular holidays

  • Cuisine :

    Western cuisine

  • Foreign Language Menu :

    Available

  • Accepted Credit Cards :

    VISA/Mastercard/AMEX/JCB

Recommended Experience

Sake Brewery Hotel® KURABITO STAY Sake Brewing Experience

KURABITO STAY provides an immersive brewery worker experience at a sake brewery with over 300 years of history. Stay in a 100-year-old building called ‘Hiroshiki,’ where the brewers once slept, and try your hand at authentic sake brewing. Wander through the brewery, interact with locals, and get a taste of life as a sake brewer.

  • Address :

    623-2 Usuda, Saku-shi, Nagano Prefecture

  • Telephone Number :

    + (0)267-74-0588

  • Telephone Languages :

    Japanese, English

  • Access :

    20 minutes by car from Sakudaira Station

  • Duration :

    1 night & 2 days, 2 nights & 3 days

  • Fee :

    (with English support) 1 night & 2 days with 2 meals and koji making experience: ¥79,800 yen, 2 nights & 3 days with 3 meals and sake brewing experience: ¥129,800
    (Japanese language only) 1 night & 2 days with 2 meals and koji making experience: ¥55,000 yen, 2 nights & 3 days with 3 meals and sake brewing experience: ¥88,000

  • Languages Supported :

    Japanese, English

  • Accepted Credit Cards :

    VISA/Mastercard/AMEX/JCB

Recommended Experience

Soba Making Experience

The owner of Tomosen Soba Restaurant founded the local ‘Soba Society’ with a mission to "improve health by eating a bowl of soba a day." This skilled soba chef carefully guides participants through the process of making soba noodles from scratch using buckwheat flour. Afterward, participants can sit down to enjoy the fruits of their labor together with delicious tempura prepared by the chef.

  • Address :

    258 Usuda-nakamachi, Saku-shi, Nagano Prefecture (Tomosen Teuchidokoro)

  • Telephone Number :

    +81 (0)267-74-0588 (Sake Brewery Hotel® KURABITO STAY)

  • Telephone Languages :

    Japanese

  • Access :

    A 4-minute walk from Sake Brewery Hotel® KURABITO STAY

  • Duration :

    3 hours from 1:00 p.m.

  • Fee :

    From ¥4,500 per person (bookings from 2–4 persons)

  • Languages Supported :

    Japanese

  • Accepted Credit Cards :

    VISA/Mastercard/AMEX/JCB

Recommended Experience

Sake Rice Field Trail (E-bike Cycling Tour)

Embark on a 1-night, 2-day cycling tour by e-bike through the sake breweries and rice paddies of the Saku region. Delight in the charms of Saku, including its delectable food and rich rice farming culture, while reveling in the stunning countryside scenery at the foot of Mount Asama and Mount Yatsugatake. Choose from three routes according to your fitness level.

  • Meeting place :

    623-2 Usuda, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture (Sake Brewery Hotel KURABITO STAY)

  • Telephone Number :

    +81 (0)267-74-0588 (Sake Brewery KURABITO STAY)

  • Telephone Languages :

    Japanese

  • Access :

    20 minutes by car from Sakudaira Station

  • Duration :

    1night & 2 days (12:45 p.m.–4:30 p.m. the following day)

  • Fee :

    ¥39,800 yen for 1 night & 2 days with 3 meals (¥34,800 for return customers)

  • Languages Supported :

    Japanese, English

  • Accepted Credit Cards :

    VISA/Mastercard/AMEX/JCB

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