The history of sake-brewing in Aizu goes back to the sixteenth century when Gamō Ujisato (蒲生氏郷, 1556-1595) came into Aizu by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉) and invited sake brewers into the domain. Since the climate as well as the primary local ingredients, water and rice, are perfectly suitable for sake brewing, the industry soon spread across the entire Aizu basin. By the year 1667, the number of sake breweries in town amounted to 326. During the reign of Matsudaira Katanobu (松平容頌, 1750–1805), the fifth Matsudaira lord, a new wave of master brewers flooded into the domain, resulting in a dramatic increase in sake quality.

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The Aizu Sake Museum exhibits sake brewing equipment, as well as books, documents and historical artefacts of the Konohana Brewery. Visitors can indulge in tasting the different kinds of sake and shōchū (焼酎, distilled alcohol) in production and buy their products as well as other related items in the adjacent souvenir shop. Up until autumn 2012, the museum is only partially accessible due to damage incurred in the earthquake of March 11, 2011. The sake tasting corner and the souvenir shop remain open to the public.

Access and admission

Address: 1-8-1 Zaimoku-machi, Aizu-Wakamatsu City, Fukushima ; phone: +81-242-26-0031, fax: +81-242-28-0038

Access: You can reach the Aizu Sake Museum by Aizu City Bus (H13 or A28 station, "Kitademaru-odōri"). Please refer to our Aizuwakamatsu page for more information on transportation.

Admission: 300 JPY, 200 JPY for high school students, junior high and elementary school students free. Admission to the souvenir shop and the sake tasting corner is free.

Hours: daily from 08:00 to 17:00.


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Aizu Sake Museum (会津酒造歴史館)

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The entrance to the museum

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