Thanks to its mild climate and an abundance of high quality spring water, Kobe is one of the top sake-producing regions of Japan. Many historic sake breweries can be found in the city’s Nada and Higashinada wards, and one of the most famous of these is the Fukuju brewery. Founded in 1751 this brewery has been run by the same family for 13 generations.
Kobe Shushinkan – Fukuju Sake Brewery
Kobe Shushinkan is the home of the Fukuju sake brewery, and also a sightseeing destination where you can take a free brewery tour, learn how Fukuju sake is made and enjoy a free sake tasting. After the tour you can buy souvenirs in the brewery shop and enjoy a fine meal in the brewery restaurant.
The Brewery Tour
Tours at Kobe Shushinkan are completely free but if you want the full tour experience you do need to book it in advance. The tour begins with a short video explaining the history of the Fukuju brewery and how its sake is made. The video is available in Japanese, English and Chinese.
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After the video you can take a self-guided tour of the brewery itself, looking in on the brewing area through a glass-paneled corridor on the 4th floor. There is plenty of information in English to tell you what you are looking at, as well as QR codes you can use to access more in-depth information online.
Several varieties of sake are available in the free tasting
Following the tour, you can enjoy a free sake tasting as a member of staff explains the different varieties of sake and how they are made. Kobe Shushinkan has staff who can speak Japanese, English, Chinese, Italian and Spanish.
The brewery also has multilingual brochures that explain how sake is made. These brochures are available in Japanese, English, Korean, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Dutch, Portuguese, Thai and Vietnamese.
The sake barrel benches
Outside you can find some old sake barrels that have been converted into covered benches. Once upon a time these barrels could hold up to 6 kiloliters of sake, but today visitors use them to take Instagrammable photographs!
A full tour of the brewery will take around 60 minutes and needs to be booked at least two days in advance. You can book the tour online via the brewery’s Japanese language website or contact the brewery via their global website.
The brewery shop
The Brewery Shop
Having tasted Fukuju’s sake you may want to buy some and take it home. The brewery shop has the complete range of Fukuju brewery’s own-brand products and some limited products that you can only find here.
Inside the brewery shop
As well as sake, there are a range of sake-flavored sweets available that include cookies and ice-cream. The shop also has some savory foods and snacks that pair well with Fukuju sake — including several products pickled in miso, such as anchovy liver, cream cheese and tofu.
Sake-related tableware
The shop also has a good range of sake-related tableware and drinking sets so you can drink your sake in style.
The entrance to Kura no Ryotei Sakabayashi
The Restaurant
Kura no Ryotei Sakabayashi is a restaurant on the brewery grounds that serves traditional Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner.
A typical lunchtime meal
The seasonal menu includes locally grown vegetables, handmade soba (buckwheat) noodles, handmade tofu and sake-infused ice cream. And of course you can wash it all down with a cup of Fukuju sake fresh from the barrel!
Inside the restaurant
Also on the brewery grounds is a hall which hosts occasional concerts, events and exhibitions and can also be rented for weddings and parties.
Location
Kobe Shushinkan is located in Kobe’s Higashinada ward. It is a 10-minute walk from Ishiyagawa Station on the Hanshin Main Line.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
