Japanese Whisky Distilleries, Japanese Wineries, Sake Breweries in Japan

Between Tokyo and Matsumoto

Posted by Close to Mount Fuji on February 8, 2019May 23, 2021

If you are planning to travel by train from Tokyo to Matsumoto on the JR Chūō Line, what I like to call the Nomikaidō, it is a perfect opportunity to visit Japanese wineries, whisky distilleries and sake breweries.

To experience Japan’s premier winery region, where the locals have been dedicated to the art of winemaking for over 140 years, your first stop has to be JR Enzan Station:

Wine Country Tour Map 2020

Full-Day Walking Tour of Japanese Wineries

Full-Day Walking Tour of Japanese Wineries: The Sequel

Koshu Wine Companion (2019) Full-Day Tour

Enjoy elegant, crisp and aromatic wines made from Koshu grapes, grown locally for over 1,000 years, in Japan’s premier winery region.

Half-Day Walking Tour of Japanese Wineries

Koshu Wine Companion (2019) Half-Day Tour

I highly recommend stopping at JR Nagasaka Station to experience Yamanashi Meijo Sake Brewery (Shichiken), a sake brewery that has been in operation since 1750:

Shichiken Sake Brewery

Savour lovingly-crafted sake produced by Ryogo Kitahara, Shichiken’s 13th generation brewer and winner of the Diners Club Young Brewers’ Encouragement Award (2017) for his Shichiken Junmai Daiginjo which took the top prize in the Super Premium category.

The Japanese have a way of making all things foreign just a little bit better, and whisky is no exception. To experience the fine whisky of Suntory Hakushu Whisky Distillery, which utilizes the purest waters of the Japanese South Alps, your final stop has to be JR Kobuchizawa Station:

Suntory Hakushu Whisky Distillery

Experience the intoxicating aroma of evaporating whisky (the angels’ share) from the thousands of whisky barrels in Suntory’s vast warehouses.

Begin your adventures off the beaten path by booking a night in my Airbnb property.

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