Jul 20, 2013 - 1 min read

On the Sake Trail in Saijo

In and around Saijo's brewery district

By Chantelle Silva

Community writer

Saijo held a competition calling on people to submit designs that could be displayed over manholes to brighten up the city. This was the winning design

There are 18 chimneys in Saijo - 15 brick, 2 concrete and 1 half broken chimney

Just beside the JR Saijo Station is this display which a barrel representing each of the different sake breweries in Saijo

A ball of cryptomeria hangs to signify that sake is sold here

Sake pubs are scattered all through Saijo

Spring water from the mountains is made available to the public at these pumps. The water from the mountains just outside Saijo has a calcium level 3 times higher than water from other areas

A sake poster is displayed in one of the breweries

Sake drinking cups on display. The blue and white rings are used to determine how good the sake is based on its color

Big barrels on display outside Kamotsuru brewery

Saijo has a reputation as one of Japan's prime producer of the national drink - Sake. Saijo, a scenic train ride east of Hiroshima City, is home to an impressive collection of sake breweries, each with their own unique technique for producing sake. Even if you're not a sake fan, walking through the main brewery district to the east of JR Saijo Station is absolutely worth doing. A stroll through the area will have you stepping back in time, with old style buildings lining the streets and an old world charm which lingers in the air. You're free to wander into many of the brewery's front areas, where there will often be sake available to sample and information about the sake making process. Take advantage of these and learn as much as you can about this fascinating drink which has come to represent so much in Japan.