6 days ago
Tokyo sake breweries tap into hospitality to lure drinkers
Sawanoien garden, the dining facility operated by Ozawa Shuzo in Ome, western Tokyo, draws a lively crowd even on weekday afternoon of May 20. (Harufumi Mori)
Tokyo-area sake breweries are opening restaurants and bars near their brewing sites to offer drinkers a more close-up and fuller experience with the alcoholic beverages.
Some venues are already attracting a steady stream of tourists, indicating a gradual broadening of the sake fan base at a time when domestic consumption has declined.
Being in or close to the bustling capital helps.
In May, Tamura Shuzojo, renowned for its Kasen sake label and based in the suburban city of Fussa in western Tokyo, announced plans to open a multi-purpose complex next spring adjacent to its brewery.
The one-story complex will be built on a parking lot and cover roughly 560 square meters. It will include a restaurant serving creative Japanese cuisine, a bar and a retail shop.
In addition to sake, the shop will offer 'ochoko'—small sake cups traditionally made of ceramic or porcelain—along with a variety of sake glasses and confections featuring 'sake kasu,' the nutrient-rich lees left over from the brewing process.
Founded in 1822 along the Tamagawa Josui, a historic freshwater canal, the brewery and its traditional Japanese garden already attract regular visitors from the nearby U.S. Yokota Air Base.
'There's strong interest in Japanese culture,' a company representative said. 'We hope the new facility will attract even more visitors from both the Tokyo area and abroad.'
PAIRED WITH EDO-PERIOD SNACKS
Toshimaya Corp., a Chiyoda Ward-based company in Tokyo specializing in brewing and sales of alcoholic beverages, has already ventured into the hospitality sector. It is also involved in the wholesale distribution of food products.
The company is known for the Kinkon sake label, brewed by an affiliated company in Higashi-Murayama, a suburban city in western Tokyo.
In 2020, Toshimaya opened a standing bar in the Kanda district, not far from the company's original founding site.
A standout item on the menu is 'tofu dengaku,' a traditional dish of grilled or broiled tofu topped with a sweet and savory miso glaze.
The recipe revives a classic from the Edo Period (1603–1867), when Toshimaya, founded in 1596, sold the tofu dish alongside sake.
It was popular among Edo Period consumers and has now been brought back to life for modern palates.
Thanks to its convenient location, the bar has drawn a diverse mix of customers, including many international travelers, including a tourist from Sudan who dropped in this spring.
'We want people to stop by casually, discover sake and the foods that complement it, and hopefully become fans,' said a staff member.
Elsewhere in the capital, Minato Ward-based Tokyo Port Brewery, the only sake brewery within Tokyo's 23 central wards, opened a lounge in January 2024 on the 10th floor of a neighboring building.
The brewery, which resumed production in 2011 after a hiatus of nearly a century, now offers visitors a chance to enjoy seasonal dishes paired with its signature Edo Kaijo sake or inventive sake-based cocktails.
TAKING ON THE GIANTS
The idea of pairing sake breweries with dining experiences has actually been around for decades.
One of the pioneers was Ozawa Shuzo, known for its Sawanoi label, based in Ome city on the western edge of Tokyo.
In 1967, the brewery opened Sawanoien garden, a riverside barbecue area overlooking the Tamagawa river.
At the time, Ozawa Shuzo had attempted to bolster its visibility by airing television commercials in competition with major sake producers from Japan's traditional brewing hubs of Nada in Hyogo Prefecture and Fushimi in Kyoto Prefecture.
But the ads had little impact.
The brewery turned to a more hands-on approach: an outdoor barbecue space where visitors could enjoy sake in a relaxed, scenic setting.
Over the years, Sawanoien has evolved into a casual dining destination offering snacks and sake. It later expanded to include a tofu restaurant.
In 2021, the brewery added a cafe serving desserts made with 'shikomi mizu,' the pure brewing water used in its sake production.
'Being located in Tokyo gives us a unique advantage,' a company spokesperson said. 'When people come and enjoy food and drink right here at the brewery, that's when they truly realize how delicious sake can be.'
