Suehiro Sake Brewery was founded at the end of the Edo Period, in the mid 19th century. The Kaeigura (the building where the sake is brewed) has been designated as an important historical building by Aizu-Wakamatsu City. Here, visitors can take a guided tour of the sake-brewing process, as well as of old Japanese-style rooms which were built during the Meiji Period. The brewing process takes place from October to March every year. During this time, visitors can see the process and conditions inside the fermentation tanks. Visitors may try between six and ten different kinds of sake for free year-round. Suehiro sake and other Aizu products are available for sale on-site. On the left side after entering the gate stands a café called Kissa Ann. The architecture of Kissa Ann was remodelled from the Kaeigura's oldest storehouse. Here, you can enjoy coffee made with water prepared especially for making sake, and cake made using high-quality sake.
| Website | https://www.sake-suehiro.jp/(Japanese) |
|---|---|
| Contact | Suehiro Shuzo Co., Ltd. Kaeigura (+81) 242-27-0002 |
| Best Season | All Year |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Closed on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 |
| Parking | Available |
| Entrance Fee | Free |
| Related info | Tours start every 30 min from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM (Japanese only) |
| Access | 12-38 Nisshinmachi, Aizu-Wakamatsu City, Fukushima Pref. 965-0861 View directions |
|---|---|
| Getting there | By Train: 20 min walk from Aizuwakamatsu Station (JR Ban-etsu West Line), or a 10 min taxi ride from the station. |
This one-day trip around Aizu-Wakamatsu City includes everything your bucket list has: castles, sake breweries, temples, and onsen. Start with an Akabeko painting experience (1100 yen) at Tsurugajo Kaikan, before looking around the castle itself and enjoying a Japanese tea experience at the Rinkaku Tea Room.
Aizu Bukeyashiki (Samurai Residence) is a historical open-air museum where visitors can learn about the history of Aizu and sample some of the specialty products of Fukushima.Stroll around the residences to take in traditional Japanese architecture, including the residence of Tanomo Saigo, the Aizu Domain's chief retainer, a magistrate's office, a tea ceremony house, a rice mill, and a warehouse (resource center).Visitors can also enjoy local specialty food at the onsite Kuyotei restaurant, and find specialty products from Aizu and other parts of Fukushima at Sato-Kobo Kokon, and enjoy hand-painting traditional toys and practicing Japanese archery, which is perfect for young kids.Besides such cultural enjoyment, the natural beauty of the spring cherry blossoms and the bright autumnal foliage are a major attraction for tourists.
The World Glassware Hall is located at the foot of Mt. Bandai, by the side of Lake Inawashiro.About 25,000 handmade glassware items, imported directly from countries all over the world, are exhibited and sold at the World Glassware Hall. You can even try your hand at glass etching, or glass blowing.Next to the Glassware Hall is the Inawashiro Original Beer Brewery and a sweets shop. Local Inawashiro beer has received the gold prize in an international beer competition, and can be purchased on site. In the sweets shop, you can try a line up of famous local delicacies.
Tokusa Onsen derives its name from the tokusa (common horsetail plant) which is abundant in the region. It was discovered as a hot spring source approximately 1000 years ago, and has long been known as "Aizu's hidden hot spring". In the public stone outdoor bath, where the hot spring rises directly from the riverbed, you can heal your heart and body while listening to the soft murmuring of the clear stream, which has been unchanged for ages. There are more than 16 ryokan inns and pensions dispersed throughout the Tokusa Onsen region, and it is widely known as the "hamlet of the hidden hot spring". You can take a tip in the stone public bath 24 hours a day, but please be mindful that onsen use is not segregated by gender, nor is it shut off from public view! Not for the faint of heart.
Over the course of the year, Kaneyama Fureai Hiroba Viewpoint greets visitors with views of atmospheric fog rising above the Tadami River, mountains frosted with snow or painted with autumn leaves, all surrounding the Oshi Shuraku district of traditional houses.
Established over 110 years ago, the main store of Yamanaka Senbei serves up handcooked senbei rice crackers. Just like in times of old, they use a traditional brick oven to cook their crackers over a charcoal fire. This experience is highly recommended for foodies and tourists alike, as you’ll be able to enjoy senbei fresh from the charcoal oven! (Reservations are advised for the senbei-making experience)
This ramen shop has the characteristically simple flavors of Kitakata Ramen with their curly noodles. The Shokudo Hasegawa is one of the oldest ramen shops in Kitakata City. They use an original plump curly noodle with a satisfactory broth with flavors including soy sauce, salt, miso, and spicy miso.
A lovely restaurant where you can savor the flavors of handmade soba and coffee. This restaurant is commited to serving delicious, seasonal food. In summer, the noodles are made thinner. In winter, they’re made a bit thicker. You’ll be able to relish the stone-ground, handmade noodles. Their most popular topping for soba is their large umeboshi (sour pickled plums) from the Kishu Domain, which can be enjoyed as part of Ishiharaya's Grated Plum Soba dish.
Wakaki (若喜商店) is a shop specializing in soy sauce brewing and a historical warehouse in Kitakata City. Both the shop and the warehouse buildings have been recognized for their unique architectural value, and were both designated Tangible Cultural Properties. The original brick warehouse was built in 1904, and was used both as a residence (second floor) and as a warehouse, as well as a place to entertain guests. An interesting feature of the building is its fusion of styles: from the outside it has a strikingly Western appearance with a brick facade, but the interior is built in Japanese-style with tatami floors. The wood used for the pillars and the main table was sourced from a very rare persimmon tree. The building uses a unique construction method to make it resistant to earthquakes.Founded in 1755, Wakaki brews both soy sauce and dashi sauce using traditional methods and locally sourced ingredients. You can get your hands on these unique artisanal products at the gift shop.The shop building, built in 1931, is also made from the same wood as the warehouse. From spring to autumn (usually from April to November), a gift store called “Showa Kan” inside the building complex sells rare vintage relics from Japan, like toys, collectable items and postcards. The shop is closed during winter.The shop also offers ‘akabeko’ painting experiences, in which you can paint your own akabeko (Fukushima’s lucky red cow) by reservation only (please contact the store directly for more information regarding this experience).Read more information about Kitakata’s kura warehouses here.
