A tour of Fukuoka's sake breweries! Five recommended direct retail stores where you can try and buy-1

A tour of Fukuoka's sake breweries! Five recommended direct retail stores where you can try and buy

Fukuoka Prefecture is known as a leading sake-producing region in Japan. There are more than 60 sake breweries scattered across the prefecture, and sake is brewed using its rich water sources and quality rice. The shochu culture is also deeply rooted in Fukuoka, so there is a wide variety of distinctive brands made from ingredients such as barley, rice, and sesame. In recent years, the prefecture has also taken on new challenges such as the production of Japanese whisky, wine, and fruit liqueurs. While enjoying brewery tours and tasting, you can learn about the brewer's passion and dedication, and find a sake that suits your personal taste.


Visit a sake brewery that has inherited traditional production methods [Chikushi no Homare Sake Brewery]

  • Visit a sake brewery that has inherited traditional production methods [Chikushi no Homare Sake Brewery]-0

Chikushi no Homare Sake Brewery is committed to traditional sake brewing using manual techniques, and is particular about using the conventional method of brewing small quantities at a time. In addition to selling their sake in the showcase at the entrance, you can also tour the brewery with an advance reservation.

As you enter the building and proceed through the corridors, the first thing that you will see is the home of the company's President, built about 150 years ago. Its appearance, aged quietly over many years, makes you feel as if you have traveled back in time. After leaving this atmospheric space, you will arrive at the sake production site, at the sake brewery itself.


While an increasing number of sake breweries are shifting toward the use of machinery in recent years, the equipment as well as building walls and beams from the past have been preserved here. The weight of the brewery's long history can be felt everywhere.

When there are many visitors, a special sales corner is sometimes set up inside the brewery. Choosing sake inside a quaint brewery makes for a special experience that you will probably not be able to find anywhere else.


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Gokujo, Daiginjo, Junmai, and Genshu, and various other grades of sake are available for tasting, so you can appreciate the richness and depth of pursuing a single brand identity. This is reflected, for example, through the differences in rice polishing ratio and the richness of the genshu (undiluted sake).

The brewery also makes its own miso and narazuke, a flavorful pickle made from white melons from Fukuoka and pickled twice in quality sake lees. Many visitors flock here just to get their hands on these pickled products.

With the health boom in recent years, All-koji Amazake, a rice wine made fully from koji (malted rice), has also become a popular item.

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Taste rare fish for a limited time only at Etsu no Yutaka-1

Taste rare fish for a limited time only at Etsu no Yutaka

Etsu is a fish of the anchovy family, and it inhabits brackish waters where there is a mixture of seawater and freshwater. In Japan, it can only be found in the Ariake Sea, particularly around the mouth of the Chikugo River.
Chikushi no Homare Sake Brewery offers a course meal at Etsu no Yutaka for a limited period of about two months starting in early May, when the fish are at their fattest. You can enjoy this course meal when you tour the brewery, so be sure to make a reservation in advance to give it a try.

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Experience sake tasting in a space that resembles a Japanese-style cafe! [Mori no Kura]

  • Experience sake tasting in a space that resembles a Japanese-style cafe! [Mori no Kura]-0

Mori no Kura produces only Junmai sake (made from rice and malt only), using rice grown in Fukuoka Prefecture. There is a tasting space in Mori no Hanare, the direct sales store located within the brewery's premises. In this sophisticated contemporary Japanese setting, you can take your time to savor the brewery's famous sake while admiring the garden view. 
Materials and videos that cover details of the history and processes of sake brewing are also on display, so you can enjoy a fulfilling time watching, learning and tasting.


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The paid tasting menu includes a tasting set comprising two representative brands of your choice paired with side dishes. For those who cannot drink alcohol, tea sets of Japanese sweets and Yame tea are also available.

First, choose two types of sake and compare them!
MORI NO KURA Junmai-Daiginjo KAZE is fruity while retaining the rich flavors of rice.
KOMAGURA GEN Enjuku Junmai-Ginjo is a Junmai Ginjo that has been aged slowly at a constant temperature. Drinking it warm further softens the flavor, making it the perfect match for modern cuisine.


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And since this is a rare opportunity, buy another tasting set and try two varieties of authentic shochu!
GINKORO, a shochu made from sake lees, is characterized by the refreshing aroma of Ginjo and a clean taste. It is easy to drink and comes recommended for those drinking shochu for the first time.
GOKI is a barley-based shochu made from two-row barley produced in Fukuoka Prefecture, grown as a double crop with rice. The shochu has a powerful, mellow flavor.

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SDGs-oriented sake brewing passed down through the generations-1

SDGs-oriented sake brewing passed down through the generations

Originally, sake lees shochu was made as a by-product when converting sake lees into fertilizer, and it was consumed at festivals held after rice planting. YAKU DOU KABTO, which was recreated with ancient distillation techniques using a wooden steamer and copper kabuto-style pot still, is a product that embodies the spirit of Mori no Kura.
The cycle from rice cultivation to sake brewing, passed down through the generations, is a real-life example of the SDGs in practice!


Enjoy a nature walk in the forest [Beniotome Shuzo]

Beniotome Shuzo Co., Ltd. is the first brewery in the world to produce sesame shochu. It is located at the foothills of the Mino Mountain Range, with spacious grounds surrounded by trees.
Start with a tour of the "Alembic Building," where a Charentais-style pot still flown in from France is on display. Proceeding further to the back, the brick-built "Mori no Chozoko" ("storehouse in the forest") comes into view, a prominent presence that stands out among the rows of brewery facilities.
Inside, the storehouse features a wood-paneled ceiling and wood-finished flooring. This mystical space, embedded with stained glass, stores many oak barrels and unglazed Ryukyu game (traditional clay pots from the Ryukyu region).

*"Mori no Chozoko" is not usually open to the public. However, tours of its interior may be conducted when staff is available, so please inquire beforehand.


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Passing through the mountain path behind the distillery takes you to a vineyard, beyond which lies Kyoho Winery. The basement cellar is open for tours, and there is also a restaurant and shop on-site. How about visiting the winery as well when you visit Beniotome Shuzo?


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After your stroll, head to the direct sales store.
In addition to a tasting corner, there are also testers available so you can spray the alcohol onto a cotton pad to test its aroma.
A wide range of products are available, including Beniotome Shuzo's classic Sesame Shochu (sesame-based shochu) and sake aged over a long period. Be sure to check out the exclusive products, including "Naorai," which can only be purchased in Kyushu.

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Items produced in collaboration with Hisashi Eguchi make the perfect gift!-1

Items produced in collaboration with Hisashi Eguchi make the perfect gift!

The shop sells shochu by weight from oak barrels decorated with illustrations by Hisashi Eguchi, a manga artist and illustrator from Kyushu, as well as shochu in bottles with illustrated labels and other related merchandise, exquisitely fusing traditional shochu with pop art.


Get your hands on rare black koji-based Japanese sake and fruit liqueurs! [Ikekame Shuzo]

Ikekame Shuzo has preserved traditional sake brewing methods, such as the drip-pressing method using sake bags, while at the same time, constantly taking up new challenges. It offers a range of unique products, such as a rare Japanese sake made with black koji (malted rice). 
You can tour the brewery and have a sake tasting session if you make a reservation in advance for a group of 10 or more, and if staff is available to conduct the tour. At the direct sales store, you can purchase rare sake that is only available at authorized distributors.


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Kuro Kabuto is one of the few Junmai Ginjo sake in Japan brewed with black koji (malted rice). It has a refreshing acidity that brings to mind fruits such as strawberries, and a flavor that will completely change your impression of traditional sake. It has been highly rated not only in Japan but also overseas, and has won top prizes in several competitions.

Other premium sakes are also available, including ROSE, made using Kuro Kabuto as a base and soaked in wild rice, and BARREL, aged in new French oak barrels. Chill and pour it into a wine glass, and you may discover new pairings with various types of cuisine.


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This brewery is also renowned as the first in Japan to develop a jelly-like umeshu (plum liquor). When you shake the bottle of this "Jelly Umeshu," the jelly crumbles, dissolving smoothly in the mouth to create an amazing texture!
The "Fuwatoro" series, a creamy beverage that is filled with fruit, is a popular product even among those who do not usually drink much alcohol.

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A mild amazake soft serve ice cream with a subtle aroma of koji-1

A mild amazake soft serve ice cream with a subtle aroma of koji

Another recommended product from the direct sales store is the soft serve ice cream made with a unique blend of Ikekame Shuzo's fresh amazake (sweet rice wine). It is non-alcoholic, so even those who do not drink alcohol can enjoy it. It has a light sweetness and refreshing taste.


A laboratory in every sense of the word! Try a wide range of alcoholic beverages [Shinozaki]

  • A laboratory in every sense of the word! Try a wide range of alcoholic beverages [Shinozaki]-0

Shinozaki not only produces Japanese sake and shochu, but also amazake, liqueurs, whisky, and wine. In 2024, it launched a new concept shop named "SHINDO LAB STAND."
The paid tasting course covers more than 20 types of alcoholic beverages ranging from classic to seasonal items. As a bonus, you can take home the original sake cup used for the tasting to keep as a memento.


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The shop is filled with an extensive lineup of products such as Hiramatsu, a limited-run namazake (unpasteurized sake), and the long-selling Kunigiku Amazake, which has remained popular since its launch. Other noteworthy barley shochu gems include Sennen no Nemuri, characterized by its rich flavor from long-term aging in oak barrels, and Asakura, which allows you to enjoy the aroma and flavor straight from the barrel. Gift-seekers will not be disappointed with Fruit Umeshu, made with fruits such as Amaou strawberries and yuzu citrus from Kochi Prefecture.


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If you are looking for something different, there is a liqueur inspired by the traditional Italian liquor known as "cello." The "geek cello" series, which uses fennel and Hyuganatsu citrus from Japan, is highly rated for its delicate botanical aroma.

You can also find craft spirits that embody unique worldviews, such as the "THE WILD & SOUTH RUM" series, made with ingredients such as the juice of sugarcane produced in Asakura.

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A cafe menu created in collaboration with popular local shops-1

A cafe menu created in collaboration with popular local shops

Inside, the shop also offers casual food and drinks. An ice cream infused with amazake and original coffee blends are examples of items developed in collaboration with famous shops in Ukiha City, where many stylish cafes can be found.
More collaborative products will be released in the future, so stay tuned!


Map of sake breweries and direct sales stores

In December 2024, "Traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with koji mold in Japan," such as in the production of Japanese sake and shochu, was inscribed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. This signifies recognition of the techniques and experience that the master brewers and brewers have cultivated over many years, and puts sake brewing on the global map as a practice that is closely linked to the local culture and climate.

Take this opportunity to visit a direct sales store where you can purchase sake as well as enjoy brewery tours and tasting experiences.

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Fukuoka Prefecture is working to eliminate drunk driving-1

Fukuoka Prefecture is working to eliminate drunk driving

Don't drink and drive! Don't allow it, don't forgive it, and don't overlook it!
Even a single sip of alcohol counts as drinking. We must make sure to take steps to prevent drunk driving, such as using public transportation or deciding on a designated driver when going to a drinking party.

*The information listed is correct as of May 2025. Please check the website or call before visiting to check the latest information.


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