Today, it is difficult to imagine that there is a person who has never heard about the Japanese national beverage called sake. It is the symbol of the Land of the Rising Sun just like cherry blossoms, evergreen bonsai, paper umbrellas, silk kimono, world-known maneki-neko cats and katana samurai swords. However, not everyone knows that all the five famous breweries are located on the territory of the Nada ward in a big industrial city of Kobe. Although each of them deserves special attention, only one of them houses a big museum where you can see all the stages of production of that iconic Japanese beverage.

One of the oldest Japanese breweries of sake was founded around three centuries ago. It was functioning in its initial form until 1969. This brewery can be seen in the Sake Museum of Hakutsuru. Thanks to the perfectly preserved old brewery and wax full-length figures made up to the smallest detail, all the visitors of the museum can feel the atmosphere of those years and understand the role of that traditional beverage in the history and culture of the country.

There you can get acquainted with all the methods of producing sake which have been the same since the first day of the brewery establishment in 1743 and which have been successfully implemented in the modern production process. You can learn all the steps of the process: from rice polishing and parboiling to dispensing the prepared beverage and tying the traditional barrels with decorative ropes made of braided rice.

Moreover, there you can watch a short documentary film about the work of the brewery before its instruments and equipment became exhibits of the museum. Then you can go for degustation and taste all the variations of sake. On the first floor, there is a special corner for degustation and selling that world-famous beverage. Experienced guides will tell the guests what is the difference between hot and cold sake, what types of cups exist. Besides, they will help you to choose sake as a gift for your beloved friends.