Fushimi Sake Breweries and Jikkokubune

Beginning at Gokonomiya-jinja Shrine, the guardian shrine of the former Fushimi Town area, this route takes you through Fushimi Sakagura Koji, where you can enjoy Fushimi sake and cuisine, the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, and Teradaya Inn, a setting for events at the end of the Edo period, ending with a waterfront tour on the Fushimi Jikkokubune Canal Boat. This course allows you to experience in a single day a sake-brewing district blessed with pristine spring water and the history of a port town.

History and Regional Appeal

Fushimi was formerly written with characters meaning "hidden water" and has long been a land blessed with an abundance of high-quality spring water. In Bunroku 3 (1594), when Toyotomi Hideyoshi developed the port alongside the construction of Fushimi Castle, Fushimi flourished as a port town connecting Kyoto, Osaka, and regions throughout Japan. During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, it thrived as the castle town of Fushimi Castle, and in the Edo period, as a port town for water transport. Along with this growth, sake breweries increased, and the area came to be known nationwide as a premier sake-brewing district. As sake brewing prospered, boats carrying sake and its raw ingredient, rice, bustled back and forth along the rivers of Fushimi. Even today, walking through the town reveals traditional sake breweries here and there.

Major Highlights

• ​Gokonomiya-jinja Shrine​​: Affectionately known by the nickname "Gokon-san," this is the guardian shrine of the former Fushimi Town area. The "Gokosui" spring water, which gave the shrine its name, is one of the Seven Famous Waters of Fushimi and was selected as one of the 100 Exquisite and Well-Conserved Waters by the Environment Agency. Other highlights include the Omotemon gate, relocated from the main gate of Fushimi Castle, and the main hall, whose vivid coloring was restored through renovation.
• ​Fushimi Sakagura Koji​​: A dining facility where you can enjoy Fushimi sake and cuisine all in one location. Along a counter stretching over 23 meters, sake from 18 breweries belonging to the Fushimi Sake Brewers Association is gathered. Through a unique delivery system, guests seated at any establishment can order dishes from the delivery menus of other specialty stalls.
• ​Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum​​: A facility that conveys the culture of Fushimi sake brewing and the history of Gekkeikan, which began in Fushimi in Kan'ei 14 (1637). It utilizes a sake brewery building constructed in Meiji 42 (1909). Sake brewing tools designated as Tangible Folk Cultural Properties of Kyoto City are on display, and at the end of the tour, visitors can enjoy a tasting at the sake tasting corner.
• ​Teradaya Inn​​: A boat inn in Fushimi known as the site of two major incidents at the end of the Edo period. In today's Teradaya Inn, the second-floor room where Sakamoto Ryoma stayed and the staircase that Oryo ran up are reproduced.
• ​Fushimi Jikkokubune Canal Boat​​: A sightseeing boat departing from the boarding dock behind the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum that travels along the waters of the Uji River Branch Channel lined with willow trees. Passengers disembark at the turnaround point, Fushimi Minato Square, to visit the Misu Lock Gate Museum before returning. The round trip takes approximately 50 minutes.

Suggested Itinerary and Travel Time

The overall itinerary takes around 5 hours as a general guide. Begin at Gokonomiya-jinja Shrine, a 4-minute walk from Kintetsu Momoyamagoryo-mae Station. Walk about 650 meters west-southwest to Fushimi Sakagura Koji, where you can enjoy Fushimi sake and food for lunch. Head south-southeast for about 420 meters to the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, and then northwest for about 250 meters to reach Teradaya Inn. Walking about 280 meters back southeast from Teradaya Inn brings you to the Jikkokubune boat boarding point. For the return trip, it is about a 5-minute walk to Keihan Main Line Chushojima Station.

The Jikkokubune does not operate during the winter due to river renovation work and other maintenance. It is reportedly especially popular during the cherry blossom season, often remaining fully booked for days on end. Since there is no dedicated parking lot, please visit by train.

Summary of the Experience

After strolling through a sake-brewing district blessed with pristine waters, taking in the scenery of brewery townscapes and the tales of the samurai of the late Edo period, gaze upon the remnants of the port town from the water aboard a boat. Take your time to savor the history of the town and the sake nurtured by Fushimi's waters.