Imayotsukasa Sake Brewery

Imayotsukasa Sake Brewery is known as “the brewery closest to Niigata Station,” and by opening up the brewery it provides an environment where many people can enjoy local sake. A popular highlight is the brewery tour, where you can hear about Imayotsukasa’s sake-making as well as the history of Niigata and the Nuttari area directly from the brewers. The site also exhibits items that evoke the era, such as old signboards and tools once used in brewing. After the tour comes sake tasting. By learning the thoughts behind each sake and its distinctive characteristics before tasting, you may discover flavors in a new way. For those who don’t drink alcohol, amazake is recommended—an extremely popular cup that rivals the brewery’s sake in popularity. In the shop, renovated from a former kitchen, you can purchase sake that is available only here. Access: about a 15-minute walk from JR Niigata Station; about 10 minutes by bus from Niigata Station Bandai Exit (platform 12) to “Nuttari Hakuzan,” then get off; about 5 minutes by car from the Niigata Bypass “Shibatakeyama I.C.”