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Doburoku Sake Tour: Taste Rare Japanese Brew
4.8
17 Ratings
Hanno
Explore Yamane Brewery’s sustainable sake tour, taste doburoku, and enjoy local snacks in Hanno’s scenic forests, just an hour from Tokyo.
Explore Yamane Brewery’s sustainable sake tour, taste doburoku, and enjoy local snacks in Hanno’s scenic forests, just an hour from Tokyo.
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Hannō Station - Upon leaving the ticket gate at Hannō Station, look for the guide holding a tour placard. Here, participants will gather, receive a briefing from the guide, and proceed together to the bus stop. The guide will provide a brief explanation on bus travel, and then everyone will enjoy a scenic bus ride through Hannō’s beautiful nature….
- Hannō Station - Upon leaving the ticket gate at Hannō Station, look for the guide holding a tour placard. Here, participants will gather, receive a briefing from the guide, and proceed together to the bus stop. The guide will provide a brief explanation on bus travel, and then everyone will enjoy a scenic bus ride through Hannō’s beautiful nature.
-
やまね酒造 - The first stop is the residence of the head of a traditional Japanese house, rich in character and history. Participants will receive a lecture on how sake brewing at Yamane Brewery is distinct from conventional methods.
Next, visit a sustainable sake brewery, possibly the only one in Japan that has been converted from a former convenience store. Observe the use of local wooden barrels and traditional brewing techniques, and discover how each batch of sake becomes unique through the influence of wood and the interaction with microorganisms.
Afterward, return to the host’s home for a tasting session using sake cups crafted from Hannō’s local clay, which is no longer produced. Enjoy three distinct types of sake, including doburoku, a rare and unfiltered sake that is challenging to store and seldom served in restaurants. Each sake is paired with a carefully chosen snack to enhance its flavor. - Hannō Station - The guide will accompany participants on the bus ride back to Hannō Station.
What's Included
- Alcoholic beverages
- Alcoholic beverages
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Private transportation
- Gratuities
- Lunch
- Private transportation
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Have you heard about doburoku, a unique and rare variety of Japanese sake? Unlike typical sake, doburoku is created by bottling the unfiltered mash (moromi) while fermentation is still ongoing. This process makes it challenging to store, and it is seldom offered in restaurants.
Yamane Brewery produces this exceptional sake in small, handcrafted batches….
Have you heard about doburoku, a unique and rare variety of Japanese sake? Unlike typical sake, doburoku is created by bottling the unfiltered mash (moromi) while fermentation is still ongoing. This process makes it challenging to store, and it is seldom offered in restaurants.
Yamane Brewery produces this exceptional sake in small, handcrafted batches. It might be the only sustainable brewery in Japan that operates from a converted convenience store.
While most breweries opt for stainless steel tanks, Yamane Brewery uses traditional wooden barrels crafted from local Nishikawa timber. This uncommon technique allows natural microorganisms to flourish, imparting distinctive flavors from the wood and water, resulting in a truly unique sake each time.
During the tour, visitors can sample three varieties of this special sake using locally made cups crafted from 100% Hanno soil, a material that is no longer produced and is available only in limited quantities.
Hanno is conveniently located just an hour by train from Tokyo, with easy access to Chichibu, Kawagoe, and attractions such as Moominvalley Park.
Location
Hannō Station
After exiting the ticket gate, please find the guide with a tour placard.
The meeting time is 1:00 p.m. We’ll take the 1:25 p.m. bus, so the limited express arriving at Hanno Station at 1:08 p.m. is fine, but please arrive a bit early if possible.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(17 Ratings)
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268kadenk
Nov 5, 2025
Artistry in Alcohol - The brewery highlighted by this tour is a small-batch distillery in the city of Hannō, Saitama that produces sake in the traditional style; that means using historically authentic barrels and distillation techniques which are practiced by only a handful of individuals across Japan.
This brewery is very much a passion project and love letter to the region where it’s based, with a strong emphasis on local materials and quality control. To sweeten the deal, a large portion of the profits, to my understanding, are reinvested in wildlife conservation.
I cannot emphasize enough what a steal this tour is, offering an opportunity to taste and learn about sake that cannot be bought due to demand far outstripping the producer’s supply. For individuals traveling through Japan, this may be the only way to try this incredible sake and see this amazing brewery initiative firsthand.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tourist11450896749
Oct 28, 2025
from HANNO UNIV - remarkable achievement! one of extent was Guide of trance later. she has vocabulary lot. and author has real voice. also infomationboad loaded by English. excellent! SHINTO style was good when we into the forest. other country people want know history. I think launch time better be land ,forest, river of nature. WAKAchan does excerent! I wonder more explain to Japanise Lice wine history, manor style when we get in old japanese house about intoroduse.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Safari59102938306
Oct 28, 2025
Wonderful brewery tour in Hannō! - Brewery tour in Hannō City!
They make their sake using traditional methods — wooden barrels and the “bag hanging” technique — with a special focus on Nishikawa timber, a type of local wood.
During the tasting, I tried several kinds: the sake “Yamane no Minori”, doburoku (unrefined sake), nigorizake (cloudy sake), and the sweet sake “Yamane no Amazake.”
The sake was clean, mildly sweet, and very easy to drink.
The doburoku had a stronger flavor with a bit of character, while the nigorizake was tangy — and when I alternated it with the amazake, the contrast made both taste even better.
I also got to hear from the president about his thoughts on nature and his dreams for the future, which made it enjoyable experience!
The amazake was so smooth and tasty that I bought a bottle to take home — it’s definitely something I want to enjoy again at home.
Schedule:
1. Move to Yamane brewery from Hannō Station by bus
2. Explanation at Yamane Brewery
3. Brewery tour
4. Sake tasting experience
5. Move back to Hannō Station by bus and finish the program
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Journey18058923610
Oct 27, 2025
Sake Brewery with a Heart! - This was such an amazing experience learning how high-quality sake is made! 🍶 The owner shared not only his craft but also valuable life lessons — reminding us to never compromise quality for quantity and to always make time for the things we’re passionate about.
I highly recommend visiting this sake brewery — not only is the sake incredible, but the proceeds also go toward a great cause: helping care for the animals in their surroundings. 🐾
There were so many inspiring stories shared during the tour, and honestly… omgggg the sake he produces is next-level good! 💯✨
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mariacristinat239
Oct 27, 2025
Sake experience - It was an incredible experience. Not only did we taste different sakes made by the owner, but we also learned about some of his many passions, such as his work as a researcher, and how his product tells a story. Seeing how he makes sake is an experience in itself, well worth seeing.
Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bibbybubby
Oct 25, 2025
If you love sake, MUST VISIT! - The brewery originally is a convenient store, you can tell the owner is young and he is very passionate about making the sake by using all local high quality produce to make the delicious sake. He insists to use wooden barrels to ferment the sake which making the cost is much higher. His sake is lovely , we’e tried 4 different kind of sake and some of the snacks that he produce. He is a man with a lot of interest. He loves animals, bird watching.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trip61514584785
Oct 24, 2025
Lovely experience in Hanno - I visited it on October 24th as part of a tour exploring the Hanno area, and I was extremely happy with the experience! We got to visit the Yamane Sake Brewery, a small-scale brewery run with love and passion. The staff kindly explained every step of the sake-making process and shared fascinating details about the importance of tools, temperature, and ingredients. I was especially impressed to learn that they use only wooden barrels made from local Hanno wood, a traditional method now used by only about 1% of sake producers in Japan. Afterward, we enjoyed tasting three different types of sake, and all of them were delicious! The amazake is non-alcoholic, so everyone can enjoy it. Since there’s also the option to stay overnight in the master’s house, I’ll definitely come again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Masakou20
Oct 30, 2025
Such a unique sake brewery! - First things first—the sake tasting was incredible! “Yamane no Minori,” which is no longer available this season, was absolutely mind-blowing.
What makes this place truly special is that their sake brewing is actually a way to protect the Japanese dormouse, a designated national natural treasure. It’s not a traditional family-run brewery passed down through generations, but one created to safeguard an endangered species—something I never imagined.
I bought some non-alcoholic amazake and a wooden sake cup to enjoy at home.
It would’ve been a perfect five if the tasting had lasted just a bit longer.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tsubaki287
Oct 23, 2025
Combining nature conservation and traditional Japanese wine - This experience provides insight into Japanese wines brewed with local natural materials, as well as traditional wine making practices.
The most impressive thing is that the founder of Winemaking is a Ph.D. in Natural Studies who is not only committed to forest conservation, but also wants to inherit traditional culture through wine brewing. The revenue from brewing is said to be invested in nature conservation activities, making the whole experience more meaningful.
Although we did not actually see the complete brewing process on the day, there are three different flavours of Japanese wine trips, each of which is very delicious.
Even friends who don't drink can enjoy alcohol-free sweet wines. The founder's kindness and enthusiasm, carefully explained to everyone the concept and characteristics of brewing, is very worth participating in an experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Envoyjapan
Oct 23, 2025
Loved trying different kinds of sake - Fukunari showed me and my friends a fantastic time. He is such a great and friendly guy. I learned about his sake making and even got invited to a sake tasting in his home! Learned (and drank) a lot!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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