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Enjoy Izumo sake made from pure spring water and matchmaking rice at a sacred place where eight million gods gather. 

　table of contents

1. What kind of sake can you enjoy at Tsuruga Castle and Aizu Sake Brewery?
2. Tsuruga Castle and Aizu Sake Brewery“Recommended sake brewery”
3. Tsuruga Castle and Aizu Sake Brewery“Recommended Sake Selection”
4. Touring Tsuruga Castle, Aizu Sake Brewery, and Sake BreweryRu“Model course”

Introduction

The red-tiled castle tower reflects the sky, and Mt. Bandai, capped with white snow, is hugged in the distance.

–Aizuwakamatsu is a land where the dignified character of a castle and the delicacy of its rice fields intersect. The silky softness brought about by underground water, the hearty flavor produced by the prefecture’s original sake rice, and the techniques honed by the brewers.

Starting from Tsuruga Castle, the stage of history, as you follow the cobblestone streets of the castle town, cup after cup, the memories of Boshin and the breath of the four seasons will unravel with each cup.

In this article, we will introduce a model course that connects castles, towns, and sake in one stroke, as well as carefully selected breweries and famous sake breweries that you will want to visit. As a prelude to our journey, we will introduce you to the current status of “Aizu Sake,” which won the Gold Award as Japan’s number one.

1. What kind of sake can you enjoy at Tsuruga Castle and Aizu Sake Brewery? 

　1 | What kind of sake can you enjoy in Aizu?

Aizu’s sake has both “softness” and “sharpness” – the gentle sweetness of the rice spreads in your first sip, and the moment you swallow it, it cuts like melting snow.

There are three secrets. First of all, it is super soft water that is created when snow that falls on Mt. Iide and Mt. Bandai slowly circulates underground. Very low hardness, ranging from 0.8 to 30 mg/L, aids in gentle fermentation, resulting in a silky smooth mouthfeel. Next is the sake rice “Yume no Ka” and “Fuku no Ka” developed by Fukushima Prefecture. Yume-no-ka is a rice that dissolves easily and releases its aroma, while Fuku-no-ka is a rice with large grains that can withstand high polishing, both of which support a clear flavor without any unpleasant tastes.

Finally, the addition of Utsukushima Yume Yeast (F7-01), which produces a sweet aroma reminiscent of banana and melon, makes it both easy to drink and elegant. As a result of the combination of water, rice, and yeast, Fukushima Prefecture regained the number one gold medal in Japan (16 breweries) at the National New Sake Awards in 2025, with Aizu breweries at the center of this victory. .

　2 | Castles and storehouses toured by Haikara-san bus and rental bicycles

After admiring the red-tiled Tsuruga Castle tower in the morning, rent a bicycle and pedal along the moat. Feel the breeze from the castle town as you head towards Nanukamachi on the city circulation bus, Haikara-san. Enjoy the incense of Yamahai on a tour of the Kaeizo brewery, a registered tangible cultural property, and taste Daiginjo Chiffon at the attached cafe, then hop back on your bike and head to Miyaizumi Meijo.

After tasting the refreshing melon-scented “Shiraku,” we headed down the alley to Tsurunoe Sake Brewery and finished off with the “Aizu Chusho,” which had the scent of white peach. In the evening, we had a small drink flight at Kakuuchi on Hideyo Noguchi Seishun Dori. If you ride the bus to the inn with a one-day ticket, you will be quietly immersed in the afterglow of a half-day course that blends history and local sake.

　3 | “Aizu x Minami Aizu” collaborative brewing–the potential of GI and Kinshozo

In addition to the 12 breweries in Aizuwakamatsu, 4 breweries in Minami Aizu will receive GI designation in 2024. This is a “Terroir Declaration” where we only use pure rice and water from within the town.

A toast with local sake from Minamiaizu that also served as the unveiling of GI Minamiaizu certified sake! (June 20th), complimentary sake and limited edition T-shirts were a hot topic.
In the castle town, there is a party to enjoy new Aizu sake in February, and the Homare Spring Sake Brewery Festival in April, where you can experience the culture of “oraga sake” served by the brewers themselves.

This kind of community-wide refinement is the “ultimate power of Aizu sake” that supports the rush to win gold awards.

 

We are currently launching a tourist destination x sake site.This is a site where you can get the information you want that you didn’t have before.We will be adding more information in the future, so please bookmark it.

 

 

2. “Recommended Sake Breweries” of Tsuruga Castle and Aizu Sake Brewery

Melted snow from the Iide and Bandai mountains becomes underground water over a long period of time, and then rises into wells as “ultra-soft water” with a hardness of 14–23 mg/L. This water, which promotes quiet fermentation, is combined with the Fukushima Prefecture-grown rice Yume no Ka, Fukuno Ka, and the gorgeous Utsukushima Yume yeast (F7-01) to create “Aizu Sake” that has both crispness and rice flavor.

　1. Suehiro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. Enjoy the hidden power of Yamahai at the registered tangible cultural property “Kaei Gura”

 

Exhibitor: Suehiro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.

 

Founded in 1850. The three-story wooden storehouse with a tile roof and brick chimney has been designated as a registered tangible cultural property by the country, and ultra-soft water from five wells flows through the storehouse.

The brewery protects the “Three Points of Local Sake: (1) Natural water, (2) Aizu chief brewer’s craftsmanship, and (3) local rice,” and has two facilities: Kaei Gura, which retains the traditional hand-made process, and Hakugura, which is equipped with the latest temperature control. Yamahai’s main brand, Suehiro, is characterized by its pear-like acidity and thick body.

Free tours are offered six times a day during normal seasons (three times in winter), and Kura Kissa An, which was ranked No. 1 in Japan as a “Fun Brewery to Visit” by NIKKEI Plus One, is popular for its Daiginjo Chiffon and Shikomi Mizu coffee.

 

item	Content
Official name	Suehiro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
Founding year	1850
Main brands	Suehiro and Kaeizo
visit	○ Same-day reception / 3 times a day in winter
Tasting	○ Free shop + Kura cafe
Direct sales office	12-38 Nisshincho, Aizuwakamatsu City
access	5 minutes walk from Nanukamachi Station on the JR Tadami Line

　2. Miyaizumi Meijo Co., Ltd.｜Innovative brewery that produces fruity “Photoraku”

Exhibitor: Miyaizumi Meijo Co., Ltd.

In 1954, the family branched off from Hanaharu Sake Brewery. Mt. Bandai underground water is medium-soft water that is close to Miyamizu in Nada, and brings out the fruity aroma. In 2007, the fourth generation, Yoshihiro Miyamori, assumed the position of production manager, and together with the young brewers, most of whom were in their 30s, he made large-scale capital investments and implemented thorough temperature control.

The flagship brand, Photoraku, has dominated domestic and international competitions with its ginjo aroma of banana and melon and crisp sweetness, and has become one of the “most difficult to obtain brands.” Tours are currently suspended, but you can sample seasonal sake for free at the shop.

item	Content
Official name	Miyaizumi Meijo Co., Ltd.
Founding year	1955
Main brands	Photography/Aizu Miyaizumi
visit	× Not implemented
Tasting	○ Free shop
Direct sales office	8-7 Higashieicho, Aizuwakamatsu City
access	Aizuwakamatsu Station → 5 minutes walk from the bus “Sannocho” bus stop

 

　3. Tsurunoe Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. | “Aizu Chusho” and “Yuri” spun by mother and daughter brewers

Exhibitor: Tsurunoe Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1794. At the white-walled brewery on Nanokamachi Street, the ninth-generation brewer, Yuri Hayashi, and his mother embody “good Japanese sake.” Made with F7-01 yeast and Aizu rice, Aizu Chusho has a strong flavor and a clean aftertaste. Yuri, a Junmai Daiginjo sake developed for women, has been praised for its delicate flavor and has won numerous awards at international competitions including the IWC.

Tours are currently suspended, but the tasting counter offers a variety of sake from standard to draft sake on a daily basis.

item	Content
Official name	Tsurunoe Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
Founding year	1794
Main brands	Lieutenant General Aizu Yuri
visit	× On hiatus
Tasting	○ Free in store
Direct sales office	2-46 Nanokamachi, Aizuwakamatsu City
access	5 minutes walk from Nanukamachi Station on the JR Tadami Line

　4. Nagurayama Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. | A brewery founded in the Taisho era that pursues “beautiful sweetness”

Exhibitor: Nagurayama Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1918. With the brewery’s motto of “beautiful sweetness,” the brewery focuses on Fukunoka, the dream incense produced by local contracted farmers. Ultra-soft water from our own wells and thorough storage in low-temperature bottles suppress the unpleasant taste, achieving both a mellow sweetness and refreshing acidity.

We have achieved the feat of winning gold at the National New Sake Appraisal for 11 consecutive years and at the Tohoku Appraisal Association for 17 consecutive years, and our representative brand Tsukiyumi also won the IWC Junmai Division trophy. Reservations are required for brewery tours, and free tastings are available at the shop from 9:00 to 16:30 on weekdays.

item	Content
Official name	Nagurayama Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
Founding year	1918
Main brands	Nagurayama/Aizu Shikon
visit	× Not implemented
Tasting	○ Free shop
Direct sales office	2-46 Sengokucho, Aizuwakamatsu City
access	10 minutes by car from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station / 3-minute walk from City Loop Bus (Aizu-Wakamatsu Joint Government Office)