Thank you Eric and all for visiting Saijo Sake Brewery Street on March 26th.  I was happy to know that you all enjoyed a variety of Saijo sake during the two-hour walking tour.

    After the tour, I escorted them to a very popular Japanese restaurant “Danryu” or warm current near the brewery street.

 The lunch specials were reasonable, tasty and volumuminous and made them smile more!

After lunch we went up to the top floor of the new Higashi-Hiroshima City Hall together.  Can you see a number of brick chimneys?   There’re 15 brick chimneys, the symbols of the brewery street district.   Only one of them is still being used.    If you visit Saijo, please come up here and enjoy a panoramic view of Saijo on weekdays.

Fresh cryptomeria ball @ Fukubijin

Saijo’s sake making starts in October, soon after the Sake Festival is over at the beginning of the month. When their first batch of sake is ready, breweries hang a large green ball made of cryptomeria branches and leaves. It’s a sign to tell the public that their sake of the year has been brewed and pressed, almost ready to be enjoyed.  They will continue their brewing and more sake will come and the sake in the tank will settle before being shipped. The green ball will gradually turn brown, which will tell you the sake is maturing.  

posted by jasmine