Saijo Sakagura-dori Street

This walking course starts from JR Saijo Station and explores Saijo in Higashihiroshima City, which is said to be one of Japan's three major sake-brewing districts. Beginning at Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art, you will visit sake breweries along Saijo Sakagura-dori Street, lined with red-brick chimneys and white-walled storehouses, before heading to Aki Kokubun-ji Temple, which carries on the lineage of a Nara-period provincial temple.

History and Regional Charms

During the Edo period, Saijo was a post town along the Saigoku Kaido known as Yokkaichi, where the ochaya (honjin, or official lodging) of the Hiroshima Domain was located. This area is blessed with famous water, where subterranean waters from Mt. Ryuo well up through wells, and sake breweries still use this pumped well water as their brewing water today. In the Meiji period, when Miura Senzaburo of Akitsu popularized a brewing method that prevented sake made with Setouchi's soft water from spoiling, the quality of Hiroshima's sake improved dramatically. Eventually, as sake began to be transported by rail, the heart of sake brewing shifted to Saijo.

Today, seven breweries remain clustered within walking distance of the station. In 2024, sake-brewing structures, including the Enpo-gura storehouse of Hakubotan Sake Brewery and the Ichigo-gura storehouse of Kamotsuru Sake Brewery, were designated as a National Historic Site as the "Saijo Sake Brewery Group." Reaching even further back, a kokubun-ji temple for Aki Province was established here during the Nara period by order of Emperor Shomu. From the ancient temple ruins to modern sake breweries, you can trace Saijo's long history on foot in half a day.

Major Highlights

• ​Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art​​: Opened in Hachihonmatsu-cho in 1979, this is the oldest municipal art museum in Hiroshima Prefecture. In 2020, it relocated to the center of Saijo and reopened in a new building. It holds collection exhibitions throughout the year, featuring modern and contemporary prints, contemporary ceramics, and works with ties to the local region.
• ​Saijo Sakagura-dori Street​​: The red-brick chimneys painted with brewery names in large letters are the symbols of the town. Mingled with the white-walled and namako-walled breweries are remnants of gates from the former ochaya. The street also features spots where visitors can taste the well water used in the brewing process.
• ​Kamotsuru Sake Brewery​​: A brewery that began brewing sake in 1873. Its Ichigo-gura storehouse, built in the early Meiji period, was designated as a National Historic Site in 2024 as part of the "Saijo Sake Brewery Group." Inside the renovated retail shop at Ichigo-gura, you can view displays of brewing tools and historical materials, and sample sake.
• ​Aki Kokubun-ji Temple​​: A temple that traces its origins to the kokubun-ji temple of Aki Province, built in 741 under the decree of Emperor Shomu. The historic temple ruins are a National Historic Site maintained as a historical park, where the foundations of the lecture hall and monks' quarters (sobo) have been reconstructed. Foundation stones line the platform of a pagoda base measuring approximately 16 meters on each side.

Suggested Route & Duration

The estimated time required is about 4 hours. From Hiroshima Station to Saijo Station, it takes approximately 35 minutes on the JR Sanyo Main Line. After visiting Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art, about a 10-minute walk from the station, walk about 500 meters northeast to Saijo Sakagura-dori Street, which extends to the east of the station. Kamotsuru Sake Brewery's Ichigo-gura is located along this street. As some breweries offer tours and sake tastings, take a stroll around several breweries to enjoy the differences between their sake. If you plan to enjoy tastings, please visit by train rather than by car. Walking about 500 meters northeast from the brewery street brings you to Aki Kokubun-ji Temple. You can return to Saijo Station from the temple and historical park in about 10 minutes on foot.

Every October, the "Sake Festival" is held, filling the street with large crowds. In addition to brewery events, you can savor "Bishu-nabe," a local specialty dish seasoned solely with sake, salt, and pepper.

Experience Summary

Appreciate art at a museum, taste brewing water and local sake beneath red-brick chimneys, and stand upon the ruins of a Nara-period provincial temple. This walking course from the station lets you experience the deeper layers of history in the renowned sake town of Saijo.