Skip to main content
Watanabe Sake Brewery View Photos

Watanabe Sake Brewery

渡辺酒造店

Surrounded by dramatic mountain ranges and blessed with a supply of some of the purest water in Japan, Watanabe Sake Brewery (established in 1870) is leading the way in promoting Gifu's long-standing relationship with sake. 

Located in Hida's Furukawacho district, Watanabe Sake Brewery is steeped in history and creates some award-winning nihonshu such as the Hourai brand which has attracted customers and acolytes the world over. With a sake tasting plan in place for visitors to sample, the brewery is a must-visit destination when in Hida Furukawa. 

Now in its ninth generation of owners, Watanabe Sake Brewery exports its sake around the world in addition to, naturally, having a loyal fanbase in Japan. The beautiful and historic brewery building is also a registered tangible cultural property. 

Peeking inside the Watanabe Sake Brewery
Peeking inside the Watanabe Sake Brewery

Essential Information

Hours

9am–4:30pm

Access

A 5-minute walk from Hida-Furukawa Station.

Location & Surroundings

You might also like

  • Goto Liquor Shop

    Goto Liquor Shop

  • Kaba Sake Brewery

    Kaba Sake Brewery

  • Mishima Japanese Candleshop

    Mishima Japanese Candleshop

Read next

Festival Float Storehouses

Festival Float Storehouses

One of Hida Furukawa’s biggest annual events is the Furukawa Festival, held in April every year, which sees beautifully decorated floats (yatai) paraded through the city — but what happens to them during the rest of the year? There are 10 storehouses (屋台蔵, yatai-gura) aroun...

Hiking Mount Anbou

Hiking Mount Anbou

If you’re staying in the Hida area for a couple of days, a hike up to the top of Mount Anbou is well recommended. Suitable for hikers of all levels, the summit can be reached in about 1–1.5 hours and is a fairly leisurely climb, with plenty of nature to admire along the way. The trailhead is a...