It is no doubtful that having local drinks is one of the best parts of your trip by coming in touch with history, leaning it and having them at restaurants when you are in trip.
We would like to introduce historical museum called Gekkeikan Okura Sake museum where you can learn history of one of the most historical Sake brewery company named Gekkeikan, and recommend restaurants where you can taste then compare a variety of different local Sake brews.
Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
Gekkeikan had been established in 1637, refurbished Sakagura built in 1907, a place where Sake is brewed, and opens this museum in 1987 when was 350 years anniversary from the establishment.
In this museum, you can see necessary items to brew Sake such as brewing barrels used to ferment Sake and a deep drilled well for water , and also see a Uchigura Sake brewery building(※1) where you can watch fermentation of Sake mash called Moromi in Japanese, and also learning history of Gekkeikan Sake company.
※1: Visiting the Uchigura Sake brewery is optional tour but now this visit is suspended,
At the end of your visit in this museum, you can try 3 different types of Gekkeikan’s Sake brews out of 10 choices that are sweet, dry, fruity flavored and refreshing-palatable.
The most popular one is called “Ho-Rin” with Daiginjo quality, is premium Sake made with the only best part of rice and the outer layers have been removed.
Why don’t you visit this museum and learn tradition of Sake brewery by the Gekkeikan, their challenges and come in touch with history of pursuit of high quality toward Sake brewery.
Opening hours・Access
■Opening hours：9:30-16:30（check in before 16:00）
■Closed days：
Summer：August 13th-16th
Winter：December 28th – January 4th
■Entrance fee：
Over 20 years old 600 JPY
13 – 19 years old 100 JPY
Under 12 years old Free
※Souvenirs will be presented to over 13 years old visitors
■Reservation：No reservation is required for individual customer
※Party of visitors with 9 people or more is not acceptable because of preventing spread of CVID19
■Contact number：075-623-2056
■Address：Minami Hama cho 247, Kyoto city, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
■Access
5 minutes on foot from Keihan railway Fushimi Momoyama station
6 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Momoyama Goryomae station
Official website：Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
Fushimi Sakagura Koji
This restaurant is a complex restaurant with a Sake bar and 8 different food restaurants, where you can meet over 100 different types of Sake from 18 local Fushimi Sake breweries and perfect-matching delicious Japanese cuisine to the local Sake brews.
This is a set of Sake that you taste then compare set and it has 18 different types of Kyoto local Sake brews that are selected by Sake sommelier called Kiki Sake Shi (唎酒師).
The food restaurants sells Sushi, Deep fried food, Oden (traditional Japanese cuisine) and also Italian foods that are selected to match with the local Sake, so combinations are limitless.
Opening hours・Access
■Opening hors：The bar and each restaurant has different opening hour and closed days.
※Please check them in the official website as below.
■Reservation and contact：075-601-2430
■Address：Hirano cho 82-2, Fushimi ku, Kyoto city, Kyoto
■Access：
4 minutes on foot from Keihan Fushimi Momoyama station
5 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Momoyama Goryoumae station
Official website：Fushimi Sakagura Koji
Nihonsyu Bar○△□(Maru Sankaku Shikaku)
Atmosphere of this bar is standing style bar and is quiet and calm so that you may think hidden place is discovered.
We recommend to order All-you can drink, and you can taste and compare about 15 different types of seasonable Kyoto local Sake with 2,000JPY for 45 minutes.
Not only Sake but there beer and cocktails in the menu.
From food menu, you can try Sake-toba(鮭とば:very dried and salty salmon), deep fried food, and Ichiyaboshi(一夜干し:fish salted and dried over night) as Japanese classic choice for Japanese Sake but also Japanese yam grilled on a hot plate and cheese menu are very popular.
Opening hours・Access
■Opening hour:
Monday – Friday 17:00-0:00 (L.O 23:30)
Saturday and Holidays 15:00～0:00 (L.O 23:30)
■Closed day: Sunday
■Address: 2F Nishinotouin Dori, Shokusai Ro-oji, Rokkaku no Michi, Ikesu cho 423-2, Nishinotouin Dori kudaru, Nakagyo ku, Kyoto city, Kyoto
■Reservation and Contact：075-251-2018
Official website：Nihonsyu Bar○△□(Maru Sankaku Shikaku)
KYOTO SAKE GARDEN
This restaurant has been committed about Kyoto local Sake from all over Kyoto prefecture and they gathered over 36 different types of Sake brews from 30 different Sakagura.
You can taste and compare them with 3,000JPY and it is all-you can drink style. A lots of Japanese Sake lovers meet and enjoy their meals with the local Sake.
Their top sale menu is Oden (Japanese traditional cuisine) and also you can have Japanese Soba noddle, Potato salad, deep fried food and they are perfect match with the local Sake.
Surprisingly, you can BRING your own food from outside into this restaurant, so you can enjoy your favorite foods with the Kyoto local Sake.
This restaurant is recommended for those who would like to find your favorite Japanese Sake, would like to try as many as possible at once because they have many different types of Kyoto local Sake brews from all over Kyoto.
Opening hours・Access
■Opening hour: 18;00～23:00 (L.O 22:00)
■Closed day: Irregular closed day
■Address: Lu Shize-mu building B1, Ebisu cho 441-1, Sanjo Agaru, Nakagyo ku, Kyoto city, Kyoto
■Reservation and Contact: 050-5494-2578
■Access: 4 minutes on foot from Kyoto city Hall station of Kyoto subway Tozai line 4 minutes on foot from Sanjo station of Keihan railway
Official website：KYOTO SAKE GARDEN
Kyoto Sakagura Kan
You can find this restaurant easily with Japanese Sake brewery barrels at entrance and it is located near from Sanjo station of Keihan railway.
They gathered Kyoto local Sake brews from all over Kyoto and their theme is you can experience Sake brewery tour at their restaurant.
Highlight of this restaurant is Sake recommendation with AI system.
This set has 15 different types of perfect-match food for the local Sake brews but only 10 sets of it will be served in one day. Highly recommended to visit around opening time.
Not only just trying taste then compare different types of them but also it is very photogenic how it is served.
Domestic production of a whole eel (served only 10 set of it in one day) and Obanzai(local home-made dishes) are very popular but you can also order Dashimaki (Japanese traditional Omlet), Sashimi and Kyoto Yuba dishes (soy bean curd skin) so that you never get bored for your meal.
They utilize AI system called KAORIUM and it recommends you the best choice by verbalizing impression of flavor. This will be something new that you have ever experienced before for sure.
There are lots of tricks to entertain customers with a variety foods and drinks, how they are served and more details, so there is no doubt that your meal at here will be memorable and never get bored.
Staff tells you secret and limited local Sake brews menu that are not written on their menu if you ask them.
Opening hours・Access
■Opening hour:
Tuesday – Friday and Day before holidays : 15:00～23:00 (L.O 22:30)
Saturday and holiday : 12;00～23:00 (L.O 22:30)
Sunday : 12:00～22;00 (L.O 21:30)
■Closed day：Monday (May differ depending on festival days and holidays)
■Address :Tora building 1F, Kugikakushi cho 236, Bukkouji Dori Higashi Iru, Shimogyoku, Kyoto city, Kyoto
■Reservation and Contact：075-354-5353
■Access：
5 minutes on foot from Hankyu Kyoto line Karasuma Station
5 minutes on foot from Kyoto Subway line Shijo station or Gojo station
Kikizake dokoro 336 (Sansaro)
This restaurant is standing style restaurant and was originally Kyoto Machiya house (Traditional style of houses in Kyoto) and they renovated it.
Drinks will be served with the Kiyomizu-Yaki (Potteries made in Kyomizu area) so that it is much more fun to have meals here with Kyoto local Sake brews with the local potteries.
It is absolutely photogenic.
This menu is a set of 3 different types of Kyoto local brews from Kinshi Masamune Sake brewery and it costs you only 1,000JPY.
Junmai Daiginjo: Namazake “Junmai Daiginjo Shizukuzake
This is highly recommended because this type of Sake is made with special way.
Namazake means raw Sake and is particular for Sake to be shipped out as raw by skipping heating for the purpose of pasteurization usually done twice before shipping out.
Recommended menus are Japanese vegetable pickles, Kyoto Yuba dishes (Soy bean curd skin) and sliced duck loin.
The atmosphere is very classic and located close to one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Kyoto called Kiyomizu.
While you walk around the sightseeing spot, you can just stop by and enjoy meals with local Kyoto Sake with the local classic pottery.
You can also eat out their drink menu, so it is good idea to wander around the are with your favorite drink, or having meal at the restaurant will be also good idea, too.
Opening hours・Access
■Opening hour：11:00～19:00 (L.O 18:30)
■Closed day：Open all year round (May differ when Kiyomizu temple opens at special night visit hour)
■Address：Shiraito cho 572-3, Higashiyamaku, Kyoto city, Kyoto
■Contact：075-741-6996
■Access : 5 minutes on foot from Keihan Gojo station/1 minutes on foot from Kiyomizu michi bus station
