Eat, drink, travel Japan.
Japan · SAKE TASTING EXPERIENCES
These go past the tasting counter: brewery cellars, pairing dinners, classes where you leave able to read a label. Each entry lists its price, its length, and what you’ll actually walk away knowing, so pick the depth you want and book the evening.
Sake tasting masterclass in Shinjuku with 6+ pours, paired snacks, label tips, and a take-home chart for ordering sake with confidence.
“One of the best tours we have done. We gained a whole new appreciation of the art of sake making in a fun and casual setting! We could not have asked for a better experience”
A small-group sake omakase in central Tokyo: 7 Japan-only sakes, unlimited refills, 4 themed courses, and snack pairings in 2 hours.
“Very informative and enjoyable :) I had a good time thank you so much very happy!!!!!!! Loved all the sake choices”
Private Kyoto tea ceremony and optional sake or whisky tasting in a 300-year-old samurai house, with kimono and katana photos near Kyoto Station.
“Great experience!! We thoroughly enjoyed the tea and dress up! My son had a great time too! The kimonos were stunning.”
Cook Osaka takoyaki from scratch and taste multiple sakes with Momo, a former brewer and sake sommelier, near Namba for $70.
“We had a great time and learnt a lot about sake - how it’s made, the way it’s graded and by tasting different ones finding out what we like. The Takoyaki cooking was brilliant too and was really delicious! Would recommend this experience 😄”
Kobe Nada sake walking tour with tastings at historic breweries, a tofu stop, and museum visits. Small group, 3.5 hours, guide included.
“Without a doubt this is the tour you are looking for. Welcoming, engaging, and most importantly delicious, this tour gives you a full experience for Japanese sake and how it’s made. Our guide, Romi, was beyond fabulous. For outside reasons Read more”
Learn sake basics and cook takoyaki from scratch in a small Osaka class with a sake sommelier. Alcohol and ingredients included.
“Momo is so knowledgeable and the most pleasant young lady my husband and I both totally enjoyed and recommend this excursion”
Hiroshima’s Saijo sake tour hits 7 breweries in 2 hours, with 8 tastings and an English guide that teaches you how to read each style.
“We loved this tour. It was about 2 hours, not much walking and a ton of information. The sake was delicious and we were able to get a local lunch at the information station.”
Start at Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple, snack-walk Tsukiji Outer Market, then enjoy unlimited sake tastings with a sommelier for a full 3-hour experience.
“We had a fantastic and varied afternoon with Kyoko starting with learning the etiquette of preparing to pray and then learning how to pray at Hongwanji temple. We then moved around the outer market sampling various dishes (extra cost) including wagu beef, whale meat and local sweet treats. Then it was onto sake tasting. We knew absolutely nothing about sake so it was great to learn from an expert how it is made and to taste a generous range of different samples (about 20). We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and highly recommend our tour guide, Kyoto, who spoke excellent English.”
Shop Osaka ingredients, cook iconic dishes, and enjoy a sake tasting in a small-group class with live guidance and real flavor.
“Review for our cooking class with Yuka We had an amazing 4-hour cooking experience with our wonderful guide and instructor, Yuka. The day started with a visit to a local supermarket, where Yuka showed and explained so many interestiRead more”
Unlimited sake in Tsukiji with an English-speaking sommelier, snack pairings, and temperature tastings in a private salon.
“Very interactive and excellent education for us as we knew about zero on the subject of Sake. Highly recommend.”
Visit Hirase Shuzo in Takayama for a short English-led tour and included sake tasting, with plenty of Q&A in about 30 minutes.
“It was a good event, although the group was very small (3 people + guide) and it felt a bit awkward. But the history of brewery and tasting sake was very nice ^^”
Unlimited sake tastings and sushi omakase in Roppongi, Tokyo, with premium tuna and samplings from breweries across Japan.
“The food and sake was delicious, however I expected more of a guided tasting of the sake with maybe some stories/history behind how it’s brewed and its cultural importance (similar to whisky tastings I’ve done in the past).”
Advanced Kyoto sake tasting with 10 rare pours, label-reading practice, and expert guidance in a dedicated room. Two hours, $74.64.
“Very knowledgeable and friendly staff, a great way to understand more about Sake, its history, brewing methods and tastes etc. guided through presentations and tastings.”
Private morning Nara tour from Kyoto or Nara with deer, Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha, and optional Harushika sake tasting plus photos.
“Thank you Ikki! We had a fantastic day exploring Nara with the best guide. He was patient and kind with our 7 year old and equally engaging with our teenager. We learned an amazing amount about Japan’s first capital while laughing the whole time. Cannot wait to come back.”
Tokyo’s 7-kind sake tasting near Tokyo Tower. Learn production and culture, sample sweet-to-savory sake with Japanese and Western pairings.
“This was so well done!! We had a sake expert explaining sake to us and the differences between the sakes we tasted. Each was paired with a Japanese cheese, crudités, duck, etc. A few bites were cooked in front of us, so we’re hot. While it was not a private class we were the only ones doing it. The two hosts could not have been more delightful. My son and I thoroughly enjoyed this experience!”
