Niigata Sake Tour – Brewery Visits, Sake Train & Ryokan Stay
Japan’s sake powerhouse
Discover the art of Japanese sake on this immersive 3-day Niigata sake tour, featuring brewery visits, a sake-themed train ride, and a traditional ryokan stay.
Niigata
From JPY 247,000 /pers.
3 Days ~ 2 Nights
2 ~ 4
Begin your journey aboard The Koshino Shu*Kura, one of Japan’s 44 ‘Joyful Trains’, which runs along the Sea of Japan and is specially dedicated to sake lovers.
Niigata, renowned for its snowy winters, has an even greater reputation as a major producer of rice and sake. The Minamiuonuma area, is nationally recognized as a pinnacle for its premium Koshihikari rice, used in the region’s sake production, particularly by breweries like Aoki Shuzo, and Hakkaisan Brewery, which enjoy nationwide recognition.
Experience eco-friendly yukimuro snow storage techniques, and learn about the art of sake production or authentic Yamaga-zuke pickles at Imanari Tsukemono, a traditional pickle made from wild edible vegetables.
Then elevate your experience with a two-night stay at a ryokan, with soothing onsen and exquisite regional cuisine, embodying the stories Niigata has to tell.
Niigata’s long winters, abundant snowmelt, and premium Koshihikari rice create conditions found nowhere else in Japan. It is the country’s most celebrated sake region — home to over 90 breweries, each shaped by the same cold, clean water and exacting craft.
Aoki Shuzo and Hakkaisan Brewery are two of Japan’s most respected names in sake. Your visit goes beyond the tasting room — snow cellar storage, koji production, and the brewing process explained by the people who live it.
The Koshino ShuKura is one of Japan’s 44 Joyful Trains — a moving sake experience running along the Sea of Japan coastline. Premium Niigata sake, live music, and landscapes that change with the seasons, all from a single carriage.
Brewery access in Niigata is not guaranteed to individual visitors — schedules, language barriers, and private areas require advance arrangement. Wanotabi handles every introduction, ensuring your group moves through the region with depth and ease that independent travel cannot replicate.