Written by Aarohi Narain
Every April, East Hiroshima’s 10 sake breweries open their doors for Kura-Biraki (brewery opening festival), a celebration of the region’s sake-making heritage. Taste freshly squeezed new sake and meet brewers.
What happens?
Traditionally, breweries opened their doors at the end of the brewing season to share gratitude for the year’s work and sell new sake. Today, these brewery open days are a seasonal highlight, allowing visitors to tour historic breweries, sample limited-edition sake, enjoy sake pairings with local food, and hear stories straight from the brewers.
Pro tip: In October, there is also the Hiroshima Sake Festival.
Schedule
Participating breweries are set to host events on specific Saturdays:
- April 11: Kireikireikirei, Sanyo-Tsuru, Hakubotan
- April 18: Kamo-Izumi, Kamo-Tsuru, Fukubijin
- April 25: Saijo-Tsuru, Imada Sake Brewery, Tsuka, Kinkō
Note that hours may vary by brewery.
How to get there
The area of Saijō, a sake capital, is 40 minutes by train from Hiroshima Station via the JR San’yō Main Line to JR Saijō Station. The historic sake brewery district is walkable from the station.
A shuttle bus runs April 25 connecting JR Saijō, JR Akitsu, and Kuroge (¥2,000 for an all-day pass). Direct train access to JR Akitsu Station on the Kure Line.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
