Traditional Brewery and Distillery Tour with Sake Tasting in Shiga, Famed for Its Natural Water—with Optional Paired Lunch

Exquisite Water Flowing Endlessly at the Foot of the Hiras

Takashima City in Shiga prefecture is a place of beauty at the foothills of the Hira mountains. Some 72% of its area is forested, and it is the source of almost a third of all the water that flows into Lake Biwa (Japan’s largest lake by both area and volume). This abundance of exceptional mountain meltwater has blessed the city with bounties of agricultural produce and lake fish alike. The city’s relatively high humidity throughout the year has also fostered a rich culture of fermented food products such as sake, vinegar, soy sauce, and miso.

Spring water flows in abundance from various sites in Takashima’s Harie district

Takashima is also an important hub connecting Kyoto, Nara, and the Hokuriku region on the Japan Sea coast. In ages past, it flourished as a post town and port home to throngs of traders known as the Omi merchants. A variety of traditional craftwork industries developed here such as fan frame production and woodworking, while weaving and sake brewing in particular took advantage of the city’s renowned water supply.

There is no sake without water, which is why each brewery must have its own well

The Harie district of Takashima is a quiet village environment where beautiful water and traditional Japanese scenery abound. It is also a designated Japan Heritage site as "Lake Biwa and its Waterside Landscape - A Water Heritage of Prayer and Living." Snowmelt and rain from the Hiras becomes groundwater that feeds springs and wells known as the shouzu (“fresh water”) of Harie, used by local households for cooking, drinking, and other daily needs. The village’s water system for daily necessities is called "Kabata," it has given the town’s culture a deep appreciation for the value of water that carries on today.

Kawashima, One of Japan’s Leading Sake Brewery and Whisky Distillery

Founded in Harie in 1865, Kawashima has been producing sake using the traditional kanzukuri method for over a century and a half, brewing only in the winter using the abundant groundwater from the Hiras and high quality locally grown sake rice. Its brewing is based in harmony with and appreciation for the rhythms of nature, producing smooth sake with rich flavor. Its signature brand “Matsu-no-hana” was named after an old pine tree that was cut down at the time of the brewery's founding, which has become an enduring local community symbol of sake brewing.

Kawashima Sake Brewery is a storied brewery with many brands beloved across Japan and beyond

Company president Tatsuro Kawashima devotes himself to brewing true deliciousness with the health of his drinkers in mind. He also places great value on preserving the local culture and the connections between people fostered by tours and tastings. In recent years he has also branched out into whisky distilling. His Biwako Distillery whisky has attracted attention internationally.

Fans flock from all over Japan to visit this long-standing brewery and its newer whisky distillery

Kawashima's brewing philosophy is "Sake at its best is simple and elegant." He eschews flash and gimmicks for true quality sake produced from fine ingredients with loving care.

Seeing a Master Brewer's True Skill Up Close

This exclusive Wabunka plan offers a private tour of Kawashima’s sake brewing process, where you'll get to look around the brewhouse with Mr. Kawashima's commentary on its methods, equipment, and the history and culture of sake. Kawashima’s sake is brewed under the supervision of the traditional Noto Toji brewing guild. The refined senses of the guild brewers yield unparalleled instinct-level insights from the temperature and aroma of the tank, catching in their sight every complex and subtle change in the fermentation process. Kawashima Sake Brewery is the only place to witness this masterful ability up-close.

Learn all about the sake brewing process from Kawashima himself in the brewhouse

Kawashima Sake Brewery adheres to the kanzukuri method, brewing only in the cold months. This is a method based in a Japanese philosophy of “recognizing what is enough” and in seasonality. Sake rice is planted in the spring and harvested in the autumn. Brewing begins during the cold winter months, yielding new batches of sake in the spring. During the off-season from spring planting until the autumn harvest, brewers also take a break to respect their symbiosis with nature. This method also has strong quality control implications, with the quality and flavor of sake determined by the state of fermentation, which is at its best in the winter.

From new white oak and cherrywood to old bourbon and sherry casks, a variety of barrels are used for bouquet in aging

For its whisky, Biwako Distillery uses the same exceptional well water used to brew Kawashima’s sake. This is soft spring water with about 20 degrees of hardness, similar to that of Speyside in northern Scotland – the holy land of whisky. This abundance of high quality soft springwater, combined with the cool local climate and the expertise of sake brewing, has given rise to excellent whisky.

A Tasting of Three Brands of Sake with Paired Tofu and Lake Fish Snacks – All Bounties of the Legendary Takashima Water

The tasting experience takes place in a Japanese traditional room in the renovated old Kawashima brewhouse. Sample three types of kanzukuri sake from Kawashima Sake Brewery, paired with Shiga specialty drinking snacks made of tofu and ayu sweetfish. Enjoy a lineup of “Toju,” which won the gold medal at the 2007 National New Sake Tasting Competition,“Matsu-no-hana Josen,” a popular brew dating back to the brewery's founding, and “Samukura Tezukuri Junmai Shu,” a handmade junmai sake.

The quaint traditional space, with its exposed beams and horigotatsu recessed table seating, is a draw unto itself

“Toju” is a ginjo type, high quality sake brewed with rice polished down to half off the original mass of the grain and low-temperature long fermentation for a light, fruity aroma. “Matsu-no-hana” is a futsu-shu (table sake), brewed simply with distilled alcohol added to increase the yield. “Samukura Tezukuri Junmai Shu” is a handmade junmai brewed with nothing but rice, rice koji mold, and water – for a clear and neutral flavor that pairs with rich cuisine.

After appreciating the aroma and color of the brew, tasters are recommended to tilt their heads slightly upward while tasting to spread the sake across the whole tongue

Tasting begins with an appreciation of the bouquet, flavor, and mouthfeel of the sake before including a pairing of local fare. Sake is said to pair best with food from its brewing region. Try your Kawashima sake with local Takashima produce for a fuller tasting experience.

Handmade tofu made with pure Harie water and lustrous ayu sweetfish simmered in sweet broth

Lake Country Spirits Paired with Cuisine from a Local Ryotei Fixture

After the sake, sample whisky from Biwako Distillery, produced with Takashima’s superb water. This is a pure malt whisky made by carefully aging imported raw spirits, a craft whisky made by master sake brewers who work with an abiding love and respect for tradition. Enjoy its distinctive sweet original flavor and rich aroma. 

The captivating amber hue of Biwako Distillery Whisky

As an optional add-on, delight in a special paired lunch provided by "Kawashin," a long-established local ryotei restaurant that has served the community for over 140 years. Enjoy the exquisite pairing of delicious local spirits with Lake Biwa country cuisine craft from an assortment of seasonal vegetables and lake fish from this water-rich region.

Lake Biwa’s cuisine pairs perfectly with Kawashima Sake (photo for illustration purposes only)

A Souvenir of the Spiritual Power of Sake

Sake has long been deeply enmeshed with the pre-Buddhist folk religious traditions of Japan today known as Shinto. Offering a shared drink to the gods has long been thought to invoke their protection and blessings. Sake has also long had a ritual role in bonding communities and groups. Traditional Japanese sake also has the rare trait of coming in an extensive variety of flavors and aromas, with a taste that changes depending on its temperature. Its popularity today has spread around the world, continuing to enhance the flavors of meals and bring people together.

The taru sake (“barrel sake”) served on special occasions has a rich cedar aroma

Sake makers here carry on handmade brewing traditions in harmony with regional climate and geography, producing sake with a mellow bouquet and a smooth subtle palate that is sure to touch your heart each time you drink it. Take a 360ml bottle of the “Matsu-no-hana Samukura Tezukuri Junmai Shu” you sampled in the experience to enjoy the power of sake at home – together with your own favorite pairings.

The eye-catching “Japan blue” souvenir bottle of “Matsu-no-hana Samukura Tezukuri Junmai Shu”