Suehiro Sake brewery, Kaeigura

At the Suehiro Sake Brewery’s Kaeigura, visitors can tour the brewery’s six sake cellars and three-story wooden residence. Tours and tastings are free of charge. Visitors can also enjoy coffee and other beverages made with sake brewing water at the attached cafe, Anzu.

The brewery was founded in 1850, in Kaei 3, when the Edo shogunate was in its final days and times were changing.

In the Meiji era (1868-1912), the brewery became the first in Fukushima Prefecture to have its sake brewed by a toji (master brewer).

In the Taisho era (1912-1926), Kinichiro Kagi, the founder of the Yamahai method of sake brewing, conducted an experimental brewing of Yamahai sake, and this technique has been passed down to the present.

This brewery is located in Nanoka-cho, where many retro stores line the street, and its wooden sake brewery gives visitors a sense of history.

It has been more than 100 years since the building was rebuilt in the late Meiji and Taisho periods, and the stately wooden warehouse is designated as a “Designated Historical Landscape Building of Aizu Wakamatsu City.

The Kaei warehouse was built between the Meiji and Taisho eras, and is designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan.

The brewery uses raw material rice, including some organic rice grown under contract by local farmers, to produce sake with a focus on Aizu.

The brewery uses raw material rice, including some organic rice, grown under contract by local farmers to make sake, and is committed to Aizu: rice, water, and people. This authentic sake brewery is conveniently located, making it easy to stop by while walking around town. It also houses a café and features an imposing atmosphere with its quaint wooden doors, dignified entrance, and unusual high vaulted hall. Even those who do not drink alcohol will be captivated by the stately atmosphere and immerse themselves in the ambiance even before they visit.

Of course, the brewery is also thoroughly particular about taste, and over the years has continued to produce sake that is loved not only by Aizukko but also by people throughout Japan. Enjoy tasting and selecting souvenirs in a space where you can encounter genuine sake, a fusion of rice grown in fertile land and traditional artisan techniques. Finding your favorite flavor while receiving professional advice is another part of the fun.

A café is also attached to the museum, and even those who do not drink alcohol will be charmed by its stately atmosphere and enjoy it even before visiting the museum.

It also continues to pursue the taste that has long been loved not only by Aizukko, but also by people all over Japan.

At this place, visitors can taste authentic sake, a fusion of rice grown in the fertile land and the skills of the artisans handed down from generation to generation. It is well known that visitors can also enjoy selecting souvenirs while tasting the sake. This is a fun experience where you can find your favorite flavor with professional advice.

In addition, the oldest of the five breweries, the Anzu-kura, has been converted into a stylish café.

In the chic and relaxed atmosphere of the store, visitors can enjoy sake brewery-style menu items such as coffee brewed with the brewing water of famous sake and chiffon cakes made with daiginjyo.

The brewery still brews a small amount of sake in limited quantities and offers free sake brewery tours. During the tour, visitors can listen to explanations from the brewery staff about the production process, sake rice, and the meaning of yamahai.

The store offers a wide selection of limited-edition sake available only here, as well as seasonal specials, making it a great place for souvenirs.