Tanaka Sake Brewery, Kikkogura / Tanaka Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. — Attraction in Otaru

This was a nice experience to see live action sake brewing, and to learn about the entire process, and see it through all the steps. We walked from Minami-Otaru station and it was less than 10 minutes to get there. The brewery has a lot of character, with old style craftsmanship, wooden truss construction, and squeaky wooden floors. Some of the tour is provided in English, but it was not a big deal to understand if you download the Google translate app in Japanese; we took photos of all the informative posters and we're able to understand the process well! At the end, you can go to the shop and try many varieties of sake - they had a few standard and seasonal ones they offered to taste, but if there was another you were interested in they may also let you try if you ask! The staff members in the shop were very warm, welcoming, and accommodating. As a tip: if you go here as the first stop on your Otaru trip, and you buy a couple bottles of Sake, I recommend going back to the train station to store your goods in a coin locker before continuing to walk the city. They are available for 400-600...

Walking around snow-covered Otaru on a fresh but clear January day, we decided to leave the main tourist street near the canal and walk about 15 minutes to this 125 year old sake brewery. As non-Japanese speakers/readers, it took a few moments to find the entrance, but once inside, that classic fermentation brewery smell is unmistakable. 👍

The friendly manager in the shop encouraged us to go upstairs and view the brewing process, which was in full swing. This is not some BS tourist show. It's a legit operating sake brewery, and you gain a whole new perspective on what's involved in turning humble grains of rice into Japan's signature brew.

After exploring the brewery, we returned to the shop and enjoyed a friendly sake tasting.

It's very low-key and authentic. highly recommended if you are doing a self guided walk around Otaru. The old wooden building alone is...

Simple and easy way to try some sake.

A short walk from Minami-Otaru station. They offer a free, self guided tour of the brewery (minimal English). It is nice to see inside the facility and would be more impressive if they were working during your visit (they weren’t during mine but that’s neither here nor there) so you could see the process in action.

The gift shop is great with a lot of sake options for you to choose from (ranging from cheap (¥1000-1500) to expensive (¥11,000)). You can ask to sample any of the sake they have on hand to help you choose what best for you.

The staff was super friendly and helpful.

All-in-all it’s a good place to find some sake but small and won’t take much time to see everything. Still, if you’re in the area you...