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Frequently mentioned in reviews: sake (79) museum (28) free (27) tasting (16) English (15) shop (13) tour (12) Sake (12) Japanese (12) Kobe (11)
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  • 5/5 Tomasz 3 months ago on Google • 45 reviews New
    It's a great place to learn about sake, its production, history and Hakutsuru brewery. Free tasting at the end of the tour. Nice souvenir shop where I bought both sake and ceramic sake set. Thank you!
    6 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sarah-Louise B. 1 year ago on Google
    An amazing experience to learn about the history of Sake making. It's a little out of the centre of Kobe, but definitely worth a visit. There are videos for each stage, all with English voice-over, explaining how they used to make sake and how its made now. At the end you can taste 3. Amazing that it's all free!
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 DS B. 4 years ago on Google
    A nice, little museum that gives a very detailed explanation of the sake distillation process and a thorough history of sake and it’s traditions. AND IT’S FREE! At the end of the tour there’s a fun little sake and plum wine tasting. There’s a cute gift shop too.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 MC S. 3 weeks ago on Google • 734 reviews New
    When in Kobe, you definitely have to go to a Brewery! This brewery museum is FOC, you get to walk the exhibition at your pace, and its not crowded. At the end of the museum, there is a gift shop and sake tasting available. We paid 500Yen to get a sake glass & 2 tokens, which you then go to the sake dispensing machine to pick your choice of sake. The sake glass is also a souvenir to take home! There are also other fruit flavoured sakes available for tasting. We loved the whole experience given that it was totally very free and easy, not a tourist filled place! It is a walk from the nearest train station but no complains as the walk here was very relaxing, the neighbourhood is quiet. Will recommend!

  • 4/5 Ashley N. 2 months ago on Google • 146 reviews New
    Worth a visit if you’re enroute to Kobe from Osaka. It’s a free museum with a self guided tour so you walk around the exhibits and won’t take more than an hour here. There are English videos which explains the brewing processes but a lot of the exhibits are labelled in Japanese. At the end, there’s a shop that offers Tax Free and also free sake tasting along with paid tastings. It’s not a huge museum but fun to learn about one of the better known sake breweries in Japan.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Giacomo F. 7 months ago on Google • 6 reviews
    I went to this museum because i was curios about sake brewing methods and varieties. The museum is free and really well made. It also has English video explanation about the different instruments and sake brewing phases. At the end of the route there is the possibility to train gold medal winner hakutsuru sake for free. There is also the possibility to taste other sake (2 x 30cc) for 500 yens and they gift you the little sake cup. The shop has a lot of things and good souvenirs for good price and the staff is really nice and kind. Really recommended although you have to walk 15/20 minutes from the nearest station.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Scott C. 2 years ago on Google
    Such a nice place to learn about the sake making process and the brand. Staff were wonderful and the tour was great.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Gene 1 year ago on Google
    Very informative sake making tour. Most of the informational video has English subtitles. But some of it is in Japanese only. There is a self-guided tour of the history and process of making sake. Also sake tasting at the gift shop.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jordan M. 1 year ago on Google
    The museum is really informative on the process of how sake was made! The exhibits are really life like & they have free sake tastings. The staff is really helpful & friendly too
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 AMY M. 1 year ago on Google
    Me and my husband had a great time here. This place is really like a museum. Explains how to make sake so very interesting place if you are interested in Japanese sake. You can also buy Hakutsuru Sake here.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Lalisa 2 months ago on Google • 178 reviews New
    𝗟𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗔 | 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭 ‧ 𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤 ‧ 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 Instagram: @lalisa_doniho Links: http://linktr.ee/lalisa.doniho __ They have real-size diorama of sake-making process, digital slide of education, and a sake souvenir shop. Outside, there is a drink and cake stall.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rebecca K. 5 months ago on Google • 32 reviews
    Great museum explaining the process of brewing sake, and offering a great selection of sake to sample and purchase. The tour is self-guided, and videos are provided in English to explain the various exhibits. All the exhibits are very well designed. Sampling is available at a small room within the gift shop. Parking is also available at the museum itself. All in all it’s a great experience!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Gel A. 6 months ago on Google • 31 reviews
    We really enjoyed the museum. Dioramas are well-made and videos are very informative. We liked the free tasting of sake at the end of the tour. You can avail the premium sake for only 500 yen and you also get to take home the sake cup which is already your souvenir.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jonny P. 1 year ago on Google
    Great place to learn about the history of Sake brewing, loads of equipment and displays, about 75% with English translation. Free tasting of 3 bottles at the end which tempted us to buy some
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Ron 5 years ago on Google
    Interesting to learn how sake was/is made. They have video information with an English narration option. Most of the display cases are only in Japanese though. You get some free sake tasting samples at the end and there is a robot there as well to help you choose a sake. They have sake ice cream which is interesting. The walk from the Jr line is only 15 min.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Nava K. 4 years ago on Google
    Hakutsuru Sake Brewery. Sake and Kobe? Or Kobe and sake? Either way, Sake in Kobe is famous due to its geographical location. Close to the production area of high quality “Yamada Nishiki” brewery rice and subsoil “Miyamizu” water from Rokki Mountain, and cold winter wind from “Rokko Mountain”, for your information, does also enhance the flavour of Sake. So, tell me then. How can this every now and then alcoholic resist tasting some sake at the end of this knowledge thirsting visit? Initally, to tell you the truth, I hesitated. You know me and alcohol? Enough is not enough once I start. In the end, I gave in to my alcoholism lust. Sparingly. Just a few gulps and amongst those tiny portions in tiny plastic cups, I loved the tadbit of sweet fruity sake. No, I didn't get tipsy, I did on the other hand or both my hands get happy. Thank god I didn't get tipsy. Otherwise, I may have freaked out the Japanese, or either they would have loved me, thereafter I would have had a ball of a time in joining the men in Geisha pubs.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Glenn 6 months ago on Google • 123 reviews
    An insightful journey on Sake making. Bringing you through a visual experience with examples and videos on the history and rigour required that made the modern day sake. Staff were very friendly speaking in multiple languages, Chinese, Japanese, English, and who knows that would knew more. Get to also try their sake, and premium sakes at 500yen before buying. They also include tax free sales with transactioms over 5,000yen (foreigner only).

  • 5/5 Sophie V. 5 months ago on Google • 66 reviews
    It was a nice experience and you really can’t complain about a free museum. It was interesting and at the end you could even taste different kinds of sake. Some for free and some for a couple yen. We later bought some sake ourselves. We went through the museum in about 20 minutes but it was still worth it.

  • 5/5 Ha B. 3 months ago on Google • 60 reviews New
    Great place to learn about the history and processes to make sake. Informative texts and videos and all exhibits are made with exceptional craftsmanship. My family really enjoyed the sake sampling section, and we ended up buying some yuzu sake; they tasted light, citrusy, and delicate.

  • 4/5 Melissa W. 2 weeks ago on Google • 15 reviews New
    Went to sake brewery as I was getting bored of Osaka and wanted to head to Kobe area. Found it by chance based on the stop I will get off at and saw that they have free sake sampling. Went there and walked through the entire exhibit to understand more about sake making. Very interesting and they have QR code where you can scan to listen to the English explanation. There were 3 different types of sakes for free samples and other types where you had to pay. The souvenir shop was filled with plenty of Japanese sake. I definitely regret not getting their sake skincare products as a souvenir because my luggage was already too heavy for me. Instead, I had ice cream.

  • 5/5 Chui Yi C. 6 months ago on Google • 7 reviews
    Informative and educational. Really interesting to know how sake is made in the past. Free sake and paid ice cream at the end. Really impressed by the paid sake area where they let you taste the new products developed by the young R&D team of the company. Taste nothing traditional, only better. I hope the members of 別鶴 saw this review and keep their good work up. It is exciting to know young people are putting so much hard work into making Japanese sake great and modern. I will recommend their invention to all my friends. Very talented and tasteful!

  • 5/5 christian eugenio m. 9 months ago on Google
    It's a great place to understand how Sake was made in old times. A lot of work and effort. You can see very old tools and devices used centurys ago

  • 5/5 Rich B. 4 years ago on Google
    Free admission to their museum on how sake is made. Displays mainly explained in Japanese texts but they have videos both in Japanese and English to see how things are made. Has a wide variety of sake for tasting and for sale. Friendly staff most especially we came in the last 30 mins before closing.

  • 4/5 Soo Fan H. 4 years ago on Google
    Free museum. It’s small but interesting museum and some of the information on display is available on English video throughout the display. There is also a mobile app audio guide you can download in multiple languages but I didn’t do it so I’m not sure whether or not that might’ve had more information about the displays. As well, you can try some sake samples after you finish touring the museum. There also some fun props at the end where you could use to take your own souvenir photo home which was nice.

  • 4/5 Opus 5 months ago on Google
    Informative and educational. Very nice to get a glimpse into the past to see how they used to make sake. There is a lot of information available in English including a short movie. There's also tastings available, free and paid for the premium ones. The shop is also tax free.

  • 5/5 Neal 4 months ago on Google
    Good place even if a bit out of the beaten track to get an insight into sake making. You can go at your own pace because it's self guided with audio and pictures. Tasting at the end was great.

  • 4/5 Mathew F. 4 years ago on Google
    Easily accessible sake museum in multiple languages which is free to enter. They do get a few tour buses and some sakes are available to taste for free. I smiled at the one try per person sign in multiple languages though

  • 5/5 kris h. 1 year ago on Google
    Very cool and informative tour. The gift shop and staff were very nice. They had free samples and paid samples. Even some English speaking staff, that pulled out extra samples. I took home 2 bottles but would have taken them all if I wasn't walking.

  • 5/5 Mickael S. 10 months ago on Google
    Love the experience and the uniqueness of this museum! If you have the time you should go there as it is 2 trains statins from Kobe downtown It is completly free and you can taste 3 differents sake

  • 4/5 cat a. 11 months ago on Google
    Enjoyed myself here. Worth a stop on your sake tour to learn about the history in a cute kitschy way. People were really nice. you have to pay 500 yen each to try the premium sake but you get a little free cup as a gift.

  • 5/5 Pooja A. 1 year ago on Google
    A must-visit place while in Kobe. From Sannomiya station catch the Hanshin line. Get down on Sunmiyoshi from there it would take 7-8 min with a normal speed of walk to reach the museum. This museum has sculptures that show the process of sake brewing. Overall the place welcoming and gives you nice feeling. They have various types of sake to sell and some souvenirs too.

  • 4/5 Rebecca M. 1 year ago on Google
    Very informative and half of the explanation videos got english versions so it is easier to understand. The building itself is really pretty and atmospheric. Many items available in the souvenir shop as well. The ice cream is not recommended though, couldn’t really taste the wine and not sweet enough to amount to a good ice cream.

  • 4/5 Victoria C. 1 year ago on Google
    It was good. A free museum. Some things translated into English

  • 4/5 Kian Yong T. 1 year ago on Google
    The historical sake company of Japan. Well, to know more about the making of sake and also the way how Japanese inheritance of their business, this is one of the right place to visit.

  • 5/5 Rajesh I. 4 years ago on Google
    Firstly I apologize for this rating as I did not take the tour but based on my experiences in Japan I am pretty sure this place must be aces. Located a 15 mins walk from the Hanshin Mikage station located on the Hanshin line it's a must visit if you are sightseeing in the Kobe region. Entry is free and operates from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm all week. It offers you an inside look into the techniques of brewing Sake which is one of the most famous culinary contributions of Japan to the world. I put up this review just to help out fellow travellers. Important piece of advice - Hanshin Mikage station is also the place you get off to take a bus to visit Mount Rokko in Kobe - suggest you finish the Hakutsuru Sake museum first as it closes early - then head to Mount Rokko.

  • 5/5 K N. 1 year ago on Google
    A well done historical museum with brochures in several languages, as well as videos in Japanese and English. Free entry, thorough information, nicely done. 3 free small samples at the end with an opportunity to buy two paid samples at 500 JPY each which includes the sake cup. Nice gift shop. Highly recommend visiting here.

  • 5/5 Johnny T. 1 year ago on Google
    It was a fun museum to visit to learn more about hakutsuru's history, and the sake brewing processes. They even offer some free tastings.

  • 4/5 Rosa M. 1 year ago on Google
    Interactive museum. I don't drink sake but the museum is interesting, and very informative. There is a free tasting of sake as well as paid one. They give a sake cup you would use for the paid tasting as a give away. Even if you aren't a sake drinker their yuzu sake is a must try. It's sweet and light.

  • 5/5 Dan O. 1 year ago on Google
    Tour of how sake was made in the olden time. Very interesting history, also a free sake tasting toward the end and one paid tasting of a very good sake. Highly recommended.

  • 5/5 Phương N. 4 months ago on Google • 2 reviews
    A great place to explore the Sake-making process, tasting three types of Sake, and purchasing them. Delicious and reasonably priced, with tax exemptions for foreigners.


Call +81 78-822-8907 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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