Saijo Sakagura-dori Street

In short

Saijo Sakagura-dori Street is the center of the sake-brewing town of Saijo in Higashihiroshima, with sake breweries clustered right next to JR Saijo Station. Saijo is also said to be one of Japan's three major sake-brewing regions, alongside Nada in Hyogo and Fushimi in Kyoto, and seven breweries remain clustered within walking distance of the station. In 2024, four sites including the Enpogura of Hakubotan Sake Brewery were designated as a National Historic Site under the name "Saijo Sake Brewery Group."

• ​Red Brick Chimneys and White-Walled Breweries​​: The red brick chimneys boldly painted with brewery names are symbols of the town of Saijo
• ​Tasting the Brewing Water​​: Spots along the street are set up for tasting water drawn from wells used in sake brewing
• ​Brewery Hopping​​: Depending on the brewery, tours and sake tastings are available, and you can stroll among several breweries and enjoy the differences of each sake

History and Highlights

​Saijo Sakagura-dori Street​ is the center of the sake-brewing town of Saijo in Higashihiroshima, with sake breweries clustered right next to JR Saijo Station. Saijo is also said to be one of Japan's three major sake-brewing regions, alongside Nada in Hyogo and Fushimi in Kyoto.

During the Edo period, Saijo, then called Yokkaichi, was a post town on the Saigoku Kaido highway, where an ochaya (honjin, official lodgings) of the Hiroshima Domain was located. Entering the Meiji period, Miura Senzaburo from Akitsu researched and spread a method for brewing sake without spoiling even when using the soft water of the Setouchi region, which greatly improved the quality of Hiroshima's sake. Eventually, as sake began to be transported by railway, the center of sake brewing shifted from the coast to Saijo, and Saijo sake became known throughout the nation.

Today, seven breweries—Kamotsuru, Hakubotan, Saijotsuru, Kirei, Fukubijin, Kamoizumi, and Sanyotsuru—remain clustered within walking distance of the station. In 2024, the Enpogura of Hakubotan Sake Brewery, the Ichigogura of Kamotsuru Sake Brewery, the former Hiroshima Prefectural Brewing Testing Station, and the Daikokugura of Fukubijin Sake Brewery were designated as a National Historic Site under the name "Saijo Sake Brewery Group." This designation honors the ability to trace how the area expanded from small breweries built behind merchant houses along the highway into large breweries that utilized the farmland behind the town in modern times.

Viewing and Experiencing Highlights

• ​Red Brick Chimneys and White-Walled Breweries​​: The red brick chimneys boldly painted with brewery names are symbols of the town of Saijo. Mingled with the white-walled and namako-walled (tiled lattice wall) breweries, visitors can also encounter buildings rich in history, including old Western-style buildings and the imposing gatehouse remnants of the ochaya.
• ​Tasting the Brewing Water​​: Spots along the street are set up for tasting water drawn from wells used in sake brewing. Experience for yourself on your own tongue the water that has sustained this sake brewing.
• ​Brewery Hopping​​: Depending on the brewery, tours and sake tastings are available. Strolling among several breweries and enjoying the unique differences of each sake is a special way to spend time on this street.

Strolling Tips

Because the street is close to the station and the breweries are gathered within walking distance, visitors can easily explore the breweries on foot. Every year in October, the "Sake Festival" is held, enlivening the street with crowds visiting venues to taste sake from all across Japan and events hosted by each brewery. The Ichigogura of Kamotsuru Sake Brewery is introduced in detail in the separate "Kamotsuru Sake Brewery" listing, so be sure to stop by there as well.