Suehiro Sake Brewery

What to know

Suehiro Sake Brewery in Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture, is one of the largest and most famous sake producers in the Tohoku Region. Founded in 1850, it has been family-owned for eight generations. Suehiro's sake is renowned throughout Japan and regularly wins domestic and international awards. Their premium sake is made using the traditional "Yamahai" method, which relies on slow open fermentation to create a full, complex flavor.

In addition to traditional sake, the brewery's extensive catalog includes more unconventional products like sparkling sake and a sake bath extract.

While most sake is aged for less than a year before sale, Suehiro Brewery sets aside a small number of bottles each year. These are allowed to age further in a temperature-controlled environment, where the flavor continues to develop and mature.

Suehiro Brewery is the official sake supplier of Toshogu Shrine in Nikko and some sumo and kabuki events, and it has been featured in several movies and TV dramas.

Among the many important figures associated with the brewery is Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, whose portrait appears on the 1000 yen bill thanks to his groundbreaking medical research. He was a close friend of Suehiro's owners, and many of his letters and pictures can be viewed at the brewery.

Suehiro Brewery is open to visitors and offers hourly guided tours (with a break at noon). The tour includes a walk through the brewing areas with explanations of the sake-making process, a small museum displaying the brewery's history and the history of sake making, and a visit to the factory store with a tasting bar where you can sample and buy nearly their entire product line.