Tokyo Sake Brewery Tour plus One
Joined 2020
You are interested in Sake, aren’t you? Sake is popularly explained as “rice wine”, but the expression is not correct. On this tour, you will visit Ozawa Shuzo in Ome City, Tokyo, and learn about various issues on sake. After the brewery visit and beautiful Japanese lunch there, you will touch nature in a suburban area in metropolitan Tokyo.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your hotel lobby in the central Tokyo
9:30 AM : Meet up at your hotel, and briefing of the tour.
Meeting time may vary depending on your hotel location.
After briefing of the itinerary, move to JR Shinjuku/Tokyo Station.
10:35/10:20 AM: 80/100 min. JR train ride from Shinjuku/Tokyo Station
On the train, you will learn basic knowledge of sake, and see changes of Tokyo sceneries from business/commercial areas to residential area and suburbs.
12:00 PM: Ozawa Shuzo in Ome City
With 5 min. walk from JR Sawai Station, we will arrive at Ozawa Shuzu (Ozawa Sake Brewery) which is one of 10 sake breweries in Tokyo.
12:10 PM: Lunch at a restaurant in Ozawa Shuzo's Mameraku reataurant
Main dish served there is tofu, or bean curd, made with sake brewing water. Light lunches such as Japanese noodles are also available in Sawanoien garden restaurant.
13:00 PM: Sake brewery tour guided by Ozawa Shuzo staff
The 30 to 40 min. tour will give you further information and knowledge in the authentic sake brewing atmosphere, and then, you may try and learn sake tasting after the brewery tour (from Jul. 1, 2025) .
The tour time may change to 14:00 pm depending on booking availability.
13:40: Sawanoien
Sake tasting of some 10 types of Ozawa Shuzo's products and/or shopping sake bottles and souvenirs for yourself, your family, and friends.
14:30 PM: 30 min to one hour hiking along with upstream of Tamagawa river (option 1)
You will visit a local temple and/or a village head's house in the mid-18th century (availability on the day to be checked).
15:15 PM (or 16:15 PM): Tonogayato Japanese Gardens (option 2)
One of nine Tokyo metropolitan gardens by dropping off at Kokubunji Station on the way back to Shinjuku/Tokyo.
15:45 PM: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Shinjuku or Imperial Palace East Garden (option 3)
Shinjuku Gyoen closes on Mondays, and the East Garden (admission free) closes on Mondays and Fridays.
15:00 PM: Gyokudo Art Museum for Japanese Paintings (option 4)
With 30 min. walk along Tama River, a beautiful museum for a master of Japanese painting, Kawai Gyokudo, stands beside Tama River and adjacent to JR Minake Station.
14:30 - 17:00 PM: Any other spot on the way to/in Shinjuku/Tokyo (option 5)
Upon your request and as time allows.
Ending Point
At JR Shinjuku/Tokyo Station or your hotel at around 17:30 PM
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Guide fee, hotel pick-up and/or sending off
Traveling expenses, and admission fees in the itinerary for your guide
Traveling expenses (for you): 1,900 (2,220) JPY/person-round trip from Shinjuku (Tokyo) to Sawai, etc.
Admission fee for Sawanoi Brewery Tour (from Jul. 1, 2025) (for you): 700 JPY/ adult with sake tasting and an original sake cup/choko
Sake tasting (for you): 300 - 1500 JPY/person
Lunch (for you and your guide): 700 to 2000 JPY/person, depending on your selection
Admission fees (for you): 600 JPY/person for Gyokudo Art Museum, 150 JPY/person for Tonogayato Gardens
Admission fees (for you): 500 JPY/person for Shinjuku Gyoen
Other fees and expenses (for you and your guide) during the tour, if any
Tour Important Information
The brewery tour is operated for a limited number of visitors except for Mondays.
- See calendars for available tour dates, however,
- Ozawa Shuzo's visitor facilities are closed on Mondays, and their main restaurant, Mameraku, is closed on Fridays too.
- If a guest is younger than 20 years old, they can participate in the tour, but cannot taste sake by law in Japan.
- The meeting time will be discussed when the date and meeting point are finalized, and it may be between 9:00 a.m. and 9:45 a.m.
- The tour schedule is based on 13 pm brewery tour, however, it may be replaced with 14 pm tour depending on availability, and the itinerary will be modified accordingly.
- Availability of the village head's house visit will depend on the owner's schedule on the tour day. The house is locked and will open especially for you if he is available.
You will be a sake lover, and obtain sufficient cultural and technical information and knowledge regarding sake history, culture, and production which you can demonstrate to your family and friends as you are a sake master. Your dishes, and life, will be enriched with a good selection of sake after the tour.
During the tour, you will breathe fresh natural air in Tokyo's countryside, and touch the gentle and kind "omotenashi", or hospitality, of people there,
Ozawa Shuzo is closed on Mondays.
Important message from the supplier
The inbound tour has been resumed. Wearing a mask depends on individual decisions, and you can enjoy tours and cultural experiences in Japan now.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2020
About Tour Guide Koichiro Y.
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).
Reviews
Karl H.
“Great Guide, great day.”
Well what can we say about this all round lovely man. We went with Koichiro (Yamasan), to Hakone. Travelling by train and bus it was a great experience. Koichiro (Yamasan) was great company, his relaxed and calm approach to everything made our day go smoothly. Even before we met him we knew by his efficiency and kindness we would like him. We highly recommend Koichiro (Yamasan).
Koichiro Y.
Thank you very much for your fantastic review comments. It was not a fine day, and we could not see Mt. Fuji, however, I relaxed knowing that you enjoyed the tour. I was happy to be with a nice and tough couple. We walked over 20,000 steps throughout the Hakone walking tour. Amazing! Thank you very much again.
Amy M.
“Great with his Sake”
He knows what he is doing. His knowledge of sake is good. Very enjoyable sake tour with him.
Koichiro Y.
Thank you so much for your review. I hope you have also enjoyed the last half of your Japan tour to Mt. Fuji and Osaka. During the sake tour, we were lucky to participate in a once-a-year festival of a very local temple and have a friendly time with some local people. You might bring home the Kumade, a happiness-collecting rake, which makes your 2025 a delightful year. Please convey my best regards to your good-drinker husband. I hope to see you again shortly for another sake tour. Yamasan
Florin B.
“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?
$312/ per group
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