Tokyo may not be among Japan's top sake producing regions, but it does have several sake breweries in the suburbs that are accessible from the center of the metropolis.
One of them, Sawanoi is in the Okutama area and sits along Tama River. The sake brewer was established in 1702, nearly 320 years ago. It has a longer history than many Champagne maisons in France!
If you walk from the nearby Sawai Station, you will notice a slight sweet aroma of malt in the air. Your journey into the sake world has already begun.
The Sawanoi Garden complex includes restaurants, shops and a tasting bar, but what is likely to get your attention first is the clear water stream down the slope. Good sake requires good water. At this privileged location, you can soak in the beautiful scenery of the river surrounded by mountains, and can even enjoy a hike along the trail.
The sakagura (sake factory) tour is provided free of charge and requires pre-booking as of Oct. 2021. The guide leads a small group into the factory. There are no windows that would let sunlight in, and it feels a little cooler than outside. You may recall wine or Champagne cellars. Some huge tanks hold over 8,000 litters of sake each.
The mother water is taken not direct from the ample river water but from the natural well deep inside a cave. Slowly coming out through the thick ancient bedrock, the spring water is rich in minerals.
Though most sake is sold and consumed fresh, here they also have aged sake. Some are over 20 years old. The vintage sake is amber colored and has a unique aroma.
It takes only 1.5 hours of train ride from central Tokyo. A pleasant day trip to fully enjoy both nature and good drink.