“I spent quite some time living in Japan and thought I knew something about sake. But during the tour I quickly realized that I’d only taken a tiny sip from the cup of sake knowledge. So much learning, so many sakes, and some fantastic new friends in just the course of a few days. I was a wonderful experience and wonderfully photogenic trip for a photographer to be on. It’s surely made me a sake lover for life.”

— Tony McNicol (Okayama Tour 2014)

“I was on the Niigata sake breweries tour in March 2017. It was a most enjoyable tour. The tour was very well organised. We visited four sake breweries and were given extensive tours of the breweries, on two occasions by the owner. I learnt a lot about making sake from the tour. In addition, there were some other unique experiences, like the picnic in the snow and the Japanese drum exercises and visiting and having lunch with a Japanese farmer. The tour leaders were very fun and friendly. I highly recommend Sake Tours.”

— Soon from Singapore (Niigata 2017 + Kochi 2018 + Hokkaido 2020 + Nagano 2023)

"A very special and everlasting memory for me and my wife. It is very well organised by our beautiful Etsuko and Shima, not to forget our fantastic Jason. It was such an eye opener for us to embark on such a tour and no regret about the money spent, quite expensive you know but it's worth it."

— Andrew from Singapore (Niigata 2017 + Mie / Wakayama 2019)

"Outstanding. One of the most exciting trips of my life. The chance to understand clearly and feel all the senses on making sake is the goal of this tour. At the end of all you will make friends forever. I would definitely recommend and do the Sake Tour again."

— Paulo Machado - Brasil Food Safaris (Okayama 2017 + Akita 2018 + Private Tour 2023)

An absolute must do for anyone with a keen interest in sake! Over five days my wife and I laughed, learned, walked, sang, and of course ate and drank endlessly and made some new friends from around the world. People you’d never imagine meeting from remote professions as well as locations, with a shared passion in learning about and in drinking sake.
The team who run it are amazing in curating deeply immersive visits to breweries that were only possible with good relationships, passion and knowledge.
Indeed on our tour we even had a global sake and shochu judge Maki-san as one of our advisers to help us better appreciate the production processes and techniques.
Keeping a culturally diverse group in control over five days of continuous sake consumption is no simple challenge that required patience and love, which Jason our tour chief performed with sincere and seasoned finesse!
We came away not only with so much more knowledge and appreciation of the love behind sake, but more importantly had the privilege to feel how the Japanese enjoy simplicity and love in every little pleasures in life.

— Aaron from Singapore (Niigata Tour 2024)

Great experience. Learned a lot about sake production. Visited a variety of breweries, and drank a LOT of sake. Also- ate a lot of great food. But not just sake- there were cultural activities, and got to experience a more personal side of Japan. Jason and Maki were excellent guides. Perfect size group- and a diverse group of fellow travelers! Hope to join another tour in the future.

— Mark (Niigata Tour 2024)

“Sake Tours was one of the best trips that we have ever taken. Typically we like to travel on our own but the service that Etsuko provides is outstanding from the accommodations, breweries, food and the fabulous sake! Every detail is taken care of and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy. If you like sake & onsen, this is definitely the tour for you. We had such a great time and look forward to doing other tours!”

— Glen & Rochelle (Akita , Niigata & Kyushu Tours)

Just finished my third trip with Sake Tours and I'm already ready to plan the next one. If you love Japanese culture, local delicious food, and most importantly sake, plus really fun people, then you absolutely MUST come on a sake tour with Etsuko and Jason. Etsuko is a genius at finding the hidden gems, the local places where you meet the farmer, the brewer, the fisherman, the craftsman, and the chefs. I fly from the other side of the world for my Sake Tours fix!

—Jocelyn

“We really enjoyed traveling to Akita and Kansai with Sake Tours. We’ve traveled to Japan many times, but the sake and culinary treats we had with Etsuko were something we could not have put together ourselves. We met so many wonderful people at the breweries and we really appreciate sake even more”

— Al and Emi (Niigata, Akita, Okayama, Kochi, Mie/ Wakayama, Kyushu, Kansai, Tohoku, Hokkaido, Nagano, Toyama)

“Even for a very well-traveled sojourner, Sake Tours organized trips that helped me discover regional Japanese culture, cuisine, and of course, sake in ways that I would never be able to arrange for myself. The small group size keeps the mood intimate and allows the organizers to take great care of guests. I look forward to each year’s exciting destinations.”

— Hung from Texas (Niigata, San-in, Kansai, Tohoku, Akita, Kyushu, Mie/ Wakayama, Okayama, Kochi, Hokkaido, Nagano, Toyama)

“I have a very nice collection of photos from the trip. I look at them and smile as I had such a wonderful experience! I truly loved the tour and felt that everything we did was valuable, educational, and enjoyable!”

— Debra from San Francisco (San-In 2011)

“Japan changed my life and the way I see it. And going on a Sake Tour was a big part of it. Can’t wait to go back!"

- Eric Nakanechnyi (Okayama 2017 + Akita 2018)

“I want to tell you what a wonderful tour you put together and how much we enjoyed traveling with you. Jack and I have fallen in love with your country and its people. I hope we have the opportunity to visit again sometime!”

— Dea from New York (San-In 2011)

“I want to send you a thank you for making the Akita trip fantastic! All your hard work paid off! We had a great time and many memories.”

— Elise from Vancouver (Akita and Kyushu Tours)

“I have just had the most amazing four days on the first Sake Tour organised by Sake Tours. If you are a sake lover do yourself a favour and signup for next years tour!”

— Andre (San-In 2010, Akita 2011, Niigata 2014)

“The Niigata Sake tour was an awesomely fantastic experience. Being invited to be a part of a side of Japan that not many people get to see, on this tour along with my personal love of Sake and Snow has made the experience unforgettable.

Thank you to all the staff, our Hosts and their families and other guests for sharing our time together. Already signed up on a different sake tour coming up in the new season … can’t wait to see what is in store. Kampai!”

— Rob from Australia (Niigata 2016 and Kyushu 2019, Toyama 2024)

“Ichigo Ichie is loosely translated as “once in a lifetime - never again.” It captures a moment in time never to be experienced again. The Hokkaido Sake Tour represented many such Ichigo Ichie moments: ice fishing on Lake Abashiri; cruising the coastline of Rausu with hundreds of soaring white-tailed eagles; the first mouthful of the most luscious Uni in the world; standing in 1-degrees Fahrenheit on the frozen Notsuke Bay for a group photo; and the simple vegetable salad full of umami at Cuore.

Add bottles and bottles of Hokkaido sake to this mix, and you’ve got heaven on earth. The passionate efforts of Etsuko-san to scope out the finest experiences for her guests will never be forgotten. This tour is the heart and soul of Hokkaido!”

— Keiko and Scott from LA (Kyushu 2015, Akita 2018, Hokkaido 2020, Nagano 2022, Niigata 2023, Toyama 2024)

I would highly recommend anyone who would like to explore off-the-beaten track experiences in Japan to join Sake Tours. This is not only for sake lovers (though you would have an incredible learning experience into the world of sake if you do), but also for those that love Japanese food, culture, scenery, and who would like to get into the 'inner workings' of this world.

My husband and I first joined their Niigata tour in 2016, and have since become addicted to their fantastic tours, joining them subsequently for Okayama in 2017 and Akita in 2018. We also love the small tour group size, giving us lots of personal attention from Etsuko and her team, and allowing us to forge unforgettable friendships with like-minded people from all over the world. These friendships have lasted beyond the tours and we meet up whenever we are in one another's home countries!

Etsuko is very knowledgeable and loves to introduce foreigners to great, small sake breweries which are not accessible otherwise to the public, and her humility, warmth, care and attention to details makes all on the tour feel so well taken care of. We love the hands-on experiences which are different in each tour, from learning to play the Kodo drums, to making soba/tofu/potteries, not to mention experiencing remote onsens in mountains and eating local specialities in small local restaurants. I can't praise these tours enough, and can only recommend that you join one to experience it for yourself!

— Cecilia and Charles (Niigata 2016, Okayama 2017, Akita 2018, Kyushu 2019, Nagano 2022, Toyama 2024)

I have been on Sake Tours 2019 Niigata and Mie-Wakayama 2020 tours so far and am scheduled to go on their Hokkaido tour soon. I am a repeat Sake tours member because they are the best anywhere. So far, the tours I've been on have been 5-star, A+ tours.

A passion for Japan's great sake and to advance its greatness internationally have attracted sake enthusiasts from all over. I've met a very interesting mix of people from many places around the world. I have learned a lot about Japan's culture and tasted great regional cuisines.

Our tours have been to picnics, lunches, dinners with the local people from the various regions we've been to and I have learned a lot and experienced things not possible with other types of tours. Mahalo to SAKE Tours for a great job! I'm looking forward to future tour seasons.

—Dan from Hawaii (Niigata 2019, Mie/ Wakayama 2020, Nagano 2022, Hokkaido 2023, Sado 2023, Toyama 2024)

“Thank you Sake Tours for showing me a sake experience of a lifetime! My love and passion for sake has grown deeper as a result of my recent adventure in Japan with you. Thank you for opening my eyes to the beauty of the Japanese culture as well. This was the most organized and exciting tour I’ve ever been on and I can’t thank you enough for sharing the sake world and Niigata lifestyle with us. Truly beautiful and fascinating! Arigatō,”

— Kristine Kelly (Niigata 2014)

I recently joined Sake Tours for their Mie/Wakayama tour. It was a terrific experience! I had wanted to see parts of Japan outside of the major cities, and learn more about Japanese culture and life, and, of course, eat well and learn about SAKE! Sake Tours delivered everything I wanted and more.

We had the opportunity to find pearls in oysters and meet with the Ama pearl divers to learn about their future and past. We learned about the art of katagami stencils for pattern printing, and the art of making binchotan charcoal. We saw lots of shrines and had incredible, unforgettable, beautiful meals. We stayed in nice hotels and beautiful ryokans with wonderful hot baths. Our guides were excellent AND, we enjoyed great sake.

—Marcy ( Mie/ Wakayama 2020, Hokkaido 2023, Niigata 2023)

I've been on two tours - Niigata and Akita. Both were wonderful and I'll be going back again this year. 5 day tours of local sake breweries with the chance to meet the brewmasters amd see the production process then enjoy local foods and drink sake. Wonderful groups of about 12 -14 people and great guides.

—DC ( Niigata, Akita, Nagano, Toyama)