Toshimaya Shuzo is one of ten sake breweries in Tokyo. It is located in a residential area in Higashi-Murayama City not far from central Tokyo. They organize brewery tours on Saturdays and guide their facilities introducing their sake brewing philosophies and offering several types of their sake products for tasting.
In the afternoon, the tour visits Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Koganei Park in Koganei City on the way back to central Tokyo.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
In the lobby of your hotel in central Tokyo [Meeting time may vary depending on your hotel location]
- Brief introduction, talk on the tour, and then, move to Toshimaya Shuzo. We take one of Tokyo's private railways, Seibu-Shinjuku line, which takes us from Seibu-Shinjuku Station to Higashi-Murarama Station in 35 min. by express train.
Toshimaya Shuzo Sake Brewery
Toshimaya Shuzo is rather a small sake brewery established in 1935, but its root traces back to some 400 years when Toshimaya Jugoro opened a liquor shop and a sake brewery. They have firm philosophies that their products connect people and create a happy society for everyone. You learn the full process of sake-making through the brewery tour, and several types of fine sake products are offered for tasting.
Lunch in Higashi Murayama City
Take luch in a local restaurant around Higashi-Murayama Station.
Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum
This open air museum exhibits historical buildings of great cultural value constructed in Edo period (17th to 19th centuries. Edo is the previous name of Tokyo before Meiji Restoration, Japan's modernization) and Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras (19th and 20th centuries).
These buildings were relocated from their original locations (mostly in Edo/Tokyo area) and reconstructed for preservation and exhibition.
We take a short ride of a local bus from Hanakoganei Station on the way back to Shinjuku. Koganei Park where the museum locates is a nice visiting spot too. In spring, we can enjoy beautiful sakura, cherry blossoms, in the park.
Ending Point
At your hotel or a station close to your following destination
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Guide fee, hotel pick-up and/or sending off
Traveling expenses, and admission fees in the itinerary for your guide
Brewery tour with tasting of several types of sake
Traveling expenses for you: approx. JPY 2000/person
Additional sake tasting for you: JPY 300 - ?? /person (as much as you take)
Lunch for you and your guide: JPY1000 to 3000/person depending on your selection
Admission fee of Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum for you: JPY400/person
Other fees and expenses for you and your guide during the tour, and taxi fare when taken
* The tour is held on Saturdays only.
* This tour may not be organized when the brewery is busy (in December and occasionally). In such a case, an alternative tour to Ozawa Shuzo will be offered (see Tokyo Sake Brewery Tour plus One).
* Drinking alcoholic beverages is not allowed for people under 20 years old in Japan. Young visitors are welcome, but sake and any other alcoholic drinks are not offered.
* This is a walking tour using public transportation.
* Please inform me if you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
The inbound tour has been resumed. Wearing a mask depends on individual decisions, and you can enjoy tours and cultural experiences in Japan now.
Hello! I’m Koichiro. Please call me “Yamasan”. It derives from my family name and my friends call me so.
I worked for a machinery company as a project manager and engineer for mechanical and electrical construction projects both domestic and overseas for over 35 years. I recall my first overseas project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when I was 26, and the second was in Singapore. I visited many countries for surveys, meetings, commissioning, project handing over, and so on.
In 2014 at the age of 60, I decided to retire from the company and live the expected further 30 years of life with a new career and experiences. I, then, studied translation and guide interpretation. I passed the national examination for licensed guides (English) in 2015 and registered with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in February 2016.
Until now, I have been guiding many beautiful guests mainly to popular sightseeing spots such as Asakusa, Tsukiji, Omote-Sando, Meiji Jingu Shrine, and Tokyo Skytree, and also cultural experiences of Origami making, Furoshiki wrapping, and Sushi cooking.
I am happy that I can freely arrange a customized tour together with you, or can propose my tours to you. I want to show you some parts of daily Tokyo life and introduce you to Bunkyo City which is located in the heart of Tokyo, just north of Chiyoda City where the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station are. The city is Tokyo’s typical residential and academic area where I was born, grew up, and live a happy life now.
Now, we can tour around the world but have not yet overcome COVID-19 completely. Recently, the number of passengers wearing masks on public transportation in Tokyo reduced to some 25% but we should mind about it still. Please carry your mask to wear it where or when necessary (December 2024, Yamasan).
Florin B.
Japanese Gardens and Tokyo Life: Bunkyo City Customized Tour
“Very good first day in Japan and Tokyo”
Yamasan guided us exceptionally well in our first contact with the city, the japonese culture and gardens. He sent us days before the tour plan, the interest sites and updated then a couple of times according to our interest. He was also very kind to come with us and help us solve a personal problem. We were very delighted with his services. Thank you, Yamasan!
Koichiro Y.
Thank you so much for your comment. It was a rainy day in Tokyo, and I was afraid that your first day here was not perfect. You, however, didn't complain about the rain at all during the tour and in your comment too. I was (and am still) very happy with your beautiful family, and hope you are continuously enjoying this first tour to Japan. Please contact me when you plan the second Japan tour. Will it be when your son graduates from the university?
“Day tour Tokyo”
Yamasan went beyond the call to insure the needs of my group. Traveling with 2 wheelchairs, he made sure to customize an itinerary that would fit out needs. He made sure everything was perfect.
Koichiro Y.
Thank you very much for your quick and heartful comments. I was very happy with you and your beautiful family. Thanks to the best guests, the nice weather, pretty cherry blossoms, and the gentle driver, today's tour could be completed with the happy smile of everybody. Please enjoy your cruising tour with your splendid parents.
$279/ per group