■Getting There

Inoue Seikichi Sake Brewery is conveniently located a quick 30-minute bus ride north of the JR Utsunomiya station. Please click here for bus times from the West Exit of Utsunomiya Station to 'Shirasawa Shogako Iriguchi' (Shirasawa Elementary School Entrance), the nearest bus stop to the brewery.

Once at the station’s west exit, find the buses that take you towards Shirasawa（白沢）or Natsubodai（奈坪台・白沢）. These buses currently depart from platform 8, and you can check the departure times using the digital signage wich offers options in English. You’ll want to get off at the Shirasawa Shougakko Iriguchi（白沢小学校入口）stop, making about a half hour trip each way.

■You’ve Reached Your Destination!

Just across the road from Shirasawa Shougakko Iriguchi（白沢小学校入口）bus stop is the Inoueseikichi sake brewery. The building cannot be missed, with it’s gold paint on a corner lot that overlooks the oncoming street.

Hiroshi prides himself on his brewery’s use of exclusively, 100% Tochigi-grown rice, and local water source in the creation of his sake.

■Let the Good Times Roll!

Inoue Seikichi Sake brewery has a new sake tasting server, which dispenses perfect pours of 16 different varieties of sake, all but four of which are seasonal. These four permanent sake brews are his most premium, award-winning products, a must-try staple of the tasting experience. Hiroshi enjoys explaining the flavor profiles, recommended food pairings, and differences between each of the available sake variations to his guests. Comparing all of the different sakes, made with unique rice & brewing methods, is definitely one of the highlights of this brewery.

■A Rural Brewery Backdrop

Shirasawa, home of the Inoue Seikichi Sake Brewery, means “beautiful water”. The clear water here flows from mountains north of the area, and its quality is essential for both growing rice and making sake.

Near the brewery, there is a public walkway that winds through rice fields and neighboring properties, following a stream that features a working water mill. The path gives visitors a great variety of the local sights, and takes approximately 20 minutes. Near the end of March/early April, this area is also home to a famous sakura viewing spot.