Guided tour of Saijo's brewery street, one of the great sake capitals of Japan, with tastings at several breweries; from around 3.000 ¥.
Saijo, in Higashi-Hiroshima, is one of the three great sake capitals of Japan, recognisable by its red-brick chimneys and the white walls of its historic breweries concentrated on a single street. On this guided tour you visit several breweries in a little over an hour, with tastings of different types of sake at each one and the explanations of a guide certified by the tourist office who helps you understand the brewing process and the particularities of the area's soft water, key to the flavour of Saijo sake. The tour starts at around 3.000 ¥ and includes the tastings. Saijo is about 40 minutes by train from Hiroshima, so it is an easy half-day getaway. It is advisable to book in advance and, of course, the activity is only for those over 20, the legal drinking age in Japan. It is an ideal plan for sake lovers and to discover a gastronomic side of the region that few tourists know.
