There are currently 13 sake breweries in the Kanagawa Prefecture, which can be divided into three areas—Tsukui Lake Area, Atsugi Area, and Hakone Area.All of these areas are about an hour away from Tokyo.In addition, since these three areas are located in the western part of Kanagawa Prefecture, there are several viewpoints where you can see the Mt. Fuji. The breweries are located in a very convenient place for a stop-by on the way from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji.
Sake breweries in Kanagawa utilize the rich underground water from the Sagami River and the Sakawa River, which both originate from the Tanzawa Mountains. The water from the Tanzawa Mountains is known as one of the top 3 remarkable waters in Japan, which includes Tohoku's Hakkoda Sugayu Onsen, Yoro Mountains, and Kanto's Tanzawa Mountains. Making use of this beautiful water, many sake breweries were established in Kanagawa between the 18th and 19th centuries.
Learn more about the 3 areas of sake brewing in Kanagawa and their history
The brewing process of sake is so delicate that even a single change in rice, water, temperature, or Toji (master brewer) can result in a different taste of sake. During the Edo period, Kanagawa Prefecture prospered as a port town, centered around Hakone, and during the Meiji and Taisho periods, the opening of the port of Yokohama introduced Western culture to the prefecture. It is said that there were over 1,000 sake breweries in Kanagawa Prefecture, but today there are only 13 breweries, all of which are unique and attractive.
Learn more about the 13 sake breweries in Kanagawa
This model route includes not only the sake brewery tour, but also the tourist attractions of each area.
