On the second day of the consecutive holidays, we stopped by in between drives. When you think of Otaru, the classic Tanaka Sake Brewery comes to mind. I tried to contact the famous Tonkima-san from Otaru, but due to our tight schedule this time, I had to give up. While looking around the store, we chatted about various things but ended up purchasing the classic items. The Takaragawa is refreshing and easy to drink, perfect for a luxurious evening drink. Thank you for the delicious meal!

This traditional sake brewery has a different atmosphere. The limited edition autumn sake they offer is so charming and unique to this store that it brings tears to my eyes. I'm also planning to start collecting sake cups from now on. I even got a nice sake cup with Mount Fuji on it. The cool air and distinctive smell of the brewery are truly special. Of course, I also got to taste some sake. I wish more people knew about this great brewery. Thank you!

You can taste the sake here, and the Takaragawa was delicious.

I visited Tanaka Sake Brewery in Otaru in May 2022. The sake is dry, refreshing, and delicious. I purchased the "Biratori Tomato" sake, which looks beautiful. It has a strong tomato flavor and is sweet and rich.

In Otaru, the brewing of sake became more serious around the Meiji era. Until the early to mid-Meiji period, alcohol was purchased from areas outside of Hokkaido, making it a luxury item for the people of Hokkaido. However, it was later discovered that Hokkaido's climate was suitable for sake brewing for the following reasons: - It has a cool climate throughout the year - Good quality water is readily available - Good quality rice is abundant By the late Meiji period, with the increase in population and the growing demand for luxury goods, "Hokkaido Homare Shuzo," "Yamanii Watanabe," and "Tanaka Shuzo" began brewing local sake. In the Showa era, many famous sake breweries in Otaru began to expand outside the region, marking the peak of sake brewing in Otaru. Even "Yuki no Hana Shuzo," a well-known sake brewery in Otaru, started developing its own brand and many breweries lined the rivers carrying Otaru's famous water, creating a scene known as "Sake Brewery Ginza." However, in the Heisei era, there was a noticeable trend of young people moving away from sake consumption and a shortage of qualified "toji" (master brewers) for sake brewing. As a result, Yuki no Hana Shuzo closed down, Yamanii Watanabe suspended its brewing department to search for outsourcing partners, and Hokkaido Homare Shuzo became a subsidiary of Oenon Holdings in Asahikawa, moving its production base from Otaru. Currently, the only remaining sake brewery in Otaru is "Tanaka Shuzo," which continues the history of sake brewing in Otaru. Tanaka Shuzo's Delicious Sake As the only sake brewery in Otaru, Tanaka Shuzo offers around 20 types of sake and sake-based liqueurs, including limited editions. Here are some popular choices: Takaragawa (Treasure River) A flagship brand of Tanaka Shuzo, known for its crisp taste and subtle sweetness. Variants include junmai, daiginjo, junmai ginjo, junmai daiginjo, and sparkling sake, allowing customers to choose according to their budget and taste preferences. Kita no Issei (Northern Star) Introduced in 2016, this relatively new sake is made with Hokkaido-grown sake rice "Suihoshi" and Otaru's quality spring water. While Takaragawa offers a mature taste, Kita no Issei provides a refined, slightly dry flavor with a youthful touch. Otaru Bijin (Otaru Beauty) Sake with a label inspired by Otaru women, slightly sweet and designed to appeal to female drinkers. In addition to junmai ginjo sake, Otaru Bijin also offers liqueurs like plum wine and aronia wine, popular among those who prefer a milder taste. Liqueurs other than junmai ginjo sake can be enjoyed with soda for an even smoother taste. Fun Fact: What is "Ginjo" and "Junmai" Sake? When choosing sake, you may come across terms like "ginjo," "daiginjo," and "junmai." These terms are determined by two key factors: whether brewing alcohol is used or not. Brewing alcohol, made from sources like sugarcane, is added to sake to mellow out its unique bitterness and enhance its flavor. On the other hand, sake brewed only with rice, rice koji, and water is labeled as "junmai." Due to the complexity of its brewing process and the unique depth of flavor it offers, junmai sake tends to be more expensive.

By the way, last time I visited Otaru, I got lost trying to find this place (laughs). The interior of the shop is filled with a retro atmosphere, with wooden signs that look like they were used in the past. I waited for a good opportunity and called the staff over to try various samples at the tasting booth. In Sapporo, alcohol service is restricted due to COVID-19, so it was nice to be able to enjoy some drinks in the countryside (laughs). I will definitely stop by again when I visit Otaru next time.

【Completely smoke-free】Established in Meiji 32 (1899), this sake brewery is one of the long-standing establishments in Otaru, Hokkaido. Tasting and sales are available at the main store and the Kikkouzou store in Minami Otaru. The main store, a charming two-story wooden building built in Showa 2 (1927), is located along the Otaru Canal in the Shounai area, just a short walk from Otaru Station. During my visit on December 6, 2020, I had the dream of tasting and purchasing sake at a sake brewery. Unfortunately, the first place I visited, Niseko Sake Brewery, was temporarily closed. However, this place was open and I was excited to try their offerings. The old yet well-maintained wooden architecture of the main store exudes a wonderful atmosphere. I expressed my desire to taste some sake to the lovely staff, and was led to a separate area for sampling. After trying a few different types, I decided to purchase their 2020 Junmai Namazake, made from "Kitashizuku" sake rice grown in Niseko Town. I was looking for a sake that was not overly sweet and had a strong alcohol content, and this one fit the bill perfectly. The staff provided me with detailed explanations about the sake, emphasizing its strong flavor profile and clean finish. I found that it paired best with smoked octopus, enhancing its rich umami flavor. I plan to return to purchase more sake in December this year. ♬

I usually buy amazake at this store. This time, I visited because they released Niagara amazake. I bought a bottle for 800 yen. The refreshing acidity and fruity flavor were a new experience. They also sold something called amazake smoothie, which was made by mixing cold amazake with soy milk. It had a gentle flavor and was very delicious.

Today I went to Tanaka Sake Brewery in search of amazake. I tried a smoothie made with soy milk and amazake with aronia, and it was delicious. The subtle sweetness of the soy milk combined with the amazake felt really good for my body. I felt like I wanted to drink it every day. I also bought some water manju amazake, which was cold and jiggly, with a sweet aftertaste of amazake. It was delicious.

On the third day in Otaru, I dropped off my second son near his school for his club activities. My wife mentioned that there was a sweet sake fair at Tanaka Sake Brewery, and they were serving sweet sake smoothies, so we decided to go check it out after dropping off our son. Inside the store, they were selling sake, wine, sweet sake, and other delicacies. I usually associate sweet sake with Morinaga's image, which I'm not a big fan of, but the sweet sake here was different. It had the flavor of sweet sake but was easy to drink without any strong aftertaste. We tried a limited edition sweet sake for sampling and ended up purchasing two bottles of sweet sake that we liked. We also ordered a sweet sake smoothie for ¥450 and enjoyed it in the car at the parking lot. The sweet sake with aronia was fragrant and delicious! It was really tasty! Thank you for the meal!

This is a historic sake brewery located quite far from Otaru Station. The store, built in the early Showa era, displays old signs and decorations. Many hina dolls were also on display due to the season. They offer unique products that can only be found here. I wanted to buy a lot of sake, but it was too heavy, so I settled for a bottle of Takaragawa's 720ml. When I drank it at home, it had a refreshing taste that went down smoothly.

At the end of May, despite the temperature exceeding 30°C, I went for a stroll in Otaru. After visiting a cafe, I invited a friend to join me for a visit to Tanaka Sake Brewery, which I hadn't been to in about a year. I had actually already visited Kikkogura on my own before meeting up, so I was secretly doing a sake brewery crawl. At Kikkogura, I didn't do any tastings, so my review will only be for the main store. This time, I was looking forward to trying the summer sake. I wanted to taste the newly released seasonal limited edition sake called "Aii Sake," which came out on 5/24. Last year, I purchased the spring limited edition "Seika." Luckily, on this day, they also had the "Super Fresh Squeezed" sake, which is only bottled 2-3 days a month. I was able to taste it as well. It had a unique carbonation from being freshly squeezed, giving it a refreshing and addictive taste. I recommend it to those who like unrefined sake. The "Junmai Daiginjo Takaragawa" had a subtle citrus aroma and a well-balanced and elegant taste. This would go well with sashimi or light Japanese dishes, either chilled or at room temperature. As for the "Aii Sake," it had a fruity aroma typical of summer sake, with a refreshing taste. It had a +1 level of dryness, making it easy to drink and perfect for hot days when chilled in the refrigerator. It was so delicious that I bought a bottle for myself. I wanted to buy the Super Fresh Squeezed as well, but I figured I wouldn't be able to finish it before the gas dissipates, and it would be too much to carry. (I can already hear someone telling me to reduce the amount of sake at home...) My friend, who loves plum wine, bought the "Otaru Bijin" and we decided to bring it to a yakatabune boat to drink. By the end, my friend had finished off the Otaru Bijin, and I had almost finished half of the Aii Sake on my own. How much do we love sake! (laughs) Maybe next time, we'll aim for autumn sake. Thank you for the delicious meal!

I went to this shop because I wanted to get some Hokkaido local sake. It was quite far from the station. The inside of the shop was clean and had a nice smell of sake. They were selling warm amazake, and since it was cold, I tried a rare cocoa-flavored amazake. Even though there was no sugar in the cocoa, it was very sweet. It's nice to have this kind of amazake once in a while. In the room next to the sales area, I was able to taste some sake. It's great to drink freshly made sake at the brewery.

I bought koji here. Koji's sweet red bean soup is rare, right? It's warm and has a natural sweetness.

You can choose and taste alcohol slowly while consulting at this hidden gem. They have various seasonal limited editions, and the sweet sake is delicious. The plum sweet sake smoothie was especially tasty.

Otaru City in Hokkaido. Among the relatively young history of Hokkaido, Otaru is an old town with many buildings dating back to the late Meiji to early Showa periods still standing. There are many historical buildings to explore and enjoy. This is a long-established sake brewery in Otaru, founded in 1899. The main store building was built in 1927, a two-story wooden structure designated as a "historical building" in Otaru City. The interior has been partially renovated, but some areas have been restored to their original appearance, showcasing items from the early Showa era such as actual used counters, abacuses, old signs, and account books, allowing you to experience the atmosphere of an old sake brewery. I don't know much about sake, but I find visiting such sake breweries and exploring old buildings enjoyable. The sake produced here seems to mainly focus on a series called "Takaragawa". The name is pronounced as "Takara" in the old kanji characters. There is actually a river called Takaragawa near the brewery. The brewing water comes from the underground water of Mt. Tengu in Otaru. The abundant water resources in this area are used for brewing, washing tools, and everything else. In addition to sake, they also offer shochu, Hokkaido wine, and various other alcoholic beverages. Inside the shop, they also sell sake-steamed buns, sake lees dorayaki, and black soybean tea for tasting. The tasting space allows you to sample recommended sake for the season. If you ask the staff, they will let you try the sake for free. In the shop, there is a tasting corner where you can try out different types of sake before making a purchase. I decided to buy a bottle of sake as a souvenir for my mother, who loves sake. Choosing from the various options was a bit difficult for me, as I had forgotten the details I learned when I visited Kunitomi Sake Brewery in Mozuku earlier this year. I remembered my personal preference is "dry over sweet," but I couldn't recall the specific names my mother likes. When I asked the staff about a sake called "Ginmai" or "Junmai," they kindly explained the kanji characters and pronunciation. Eventually, after trying three different types of sake, I bought the one recommended by the staff. The sake I purchased was the "Takaragawa" sake from Otaru, with a limited edition label design exclusive to the main store. The retro design was lovely, and it turned out to be a replica of the label used in the early Showa era. The Takaragawa sake I tried had a subtly fragrant and flavorful taste, making it a delightful Japanese sake. The sake lees dorayaki I tried was delicious, with a red bean filling and a subtle sake aroma. The sake lees are included, but the alcohol content has been removed, making it safe for children to eat. The main store's building had a charming atmosphere. There is also a sake brewery called Tanaka Sake Brewery in Otaru where you can take a tour, so I would like to visit there next time. I returned to purchase the limited edition "Junmai Ginjo Takaragawa" I bought last time. I also wanted to buy the "Magic Drop" that I forgot to buy last time. Once again, the staff recommended some sake for me to try, including new rice sake, Otaru Yukiakari, and Takaragawa (Junmai sake).

I went to Otaru for 2 nights and 3 days. After exiting Otaru IC, we visited Tanaka Sake Brewery - Kikkou Brewery, then checked into the hotel. From there, we strolled to Tanaka Sake Brewery - Main Store. It is a charming building designated as a historic structure in the city. I bought the limited edition Junmai Daiginjo sake "Kikkou Brewery" at Kikkou Brewery, but found out that the Main Store has its own limited edition sake, they are quite clever in their marketing strategies. This time, since we were walking, my husband tried the sake samples. The tasting is done in a separate room on the right hand side. My husband tried 2 different types and chose the Daiginjo 720ml for 2000 yen. The website describes it as "smooth and clean with a beautiful aroma and taste. Representing Tanaka Sake Brewery, Daiginjo Takaragawa." We also bought two bottles of Honjozo Takaragawa for 1340 yen each for my brothers-in-law. On the wall of Kikkou Brewery, there was a banner stating "2011... 1st place in the Regular Sake Division, Honjozo Takaragawa." The website also mentions that in the 2012 35th National Liquor Competition, Daiginjo sake Takaragawa won 1st place. It seems that Tanaka Sake Brewery's sake has been ranked 1st for two consecutive years. After paying, they offered us delicious black soybean brown rice tea at the register. The leftover black beans after drinking were also tasty when eaten with toothpicks (everyone was doing it). They also recommended us to try the sake manju for sampling. I intended to buy the black soybean tea, but due to my forgetfulness (embarrassed smile), I ended up forgetting about it while eating the sake manju and receiving the packaged items. It seems that they recommend samples at the register to customers who have made a purchase (or only to customers who have made a purchase?). I think it would be more effective to recommend them before the purchase at the display area. If I have the chance to visit again, I would like to buy the black soybean tea. The customer service was simple but good. They even showed us a map and gave us directions to the next shop.

I went to Otaru City. After leaving the Kitaichi Glass Sangokan Terrace, I headed to Shirokuma Shokudo, but it was still closed. There was a nearby shop that I wanted to visit, so I decided to check it out. It was Tanaka Sake Brewery, a long-established liquor store in Otaru. Since there were no reviews on Tabelog, I took the liberty of writing the first review. Normally, at these types of shops, people would do tastings and purchase their favorite brand, but since I don't drink, I always look forward to trying their sake manju (sweet buns). This time, I enjoyed a sample of sake manju. It was a fluffy bun with a moist sweet bean paste filling, very delicious. Usually, I would say "It's delicious, I'll take a box!" but I found an interesting product that caught my eye. It was the "Otaru Dorayaki Fresh Caramel" made by Tanaka Sake Brewery. They were sold frozen, and I bought 3 to take home. The accompanying instructions suggested heating them in the microwave to enjoy the caramel melting. I followed the instructions and tried one. The dorayaki had a pancake-like appearance, with a sweet aroma. When I took a bite, I felt pure happiness. The honey-like texture with the elegant sweetness of the fresh caramel was delightful. It's still a minor dessert, but I have a feeling it might become a hit. Back in the store, I saw a display of Ginkgo limited edition sake for autumn, which seemed like a recommended choice. They also had the Hato Kan that I was looking for in three sizes. Although I can't drink alcohol, I had a great time at the store with these enjoyable treats. The dorayaki fresh caramel was truly delicious. Thank you very much. I also want to mention that I accidentally dropped my wallet, and the staff's kindness and assistance were greatly appreciated. I highly recommend their customer service.

As I was walking to check in at a nearby Kamomeya shop, I stumbled upon a lovely sake brewery that caught my eye! Feeling a bit nervous, I decided to go inside. A young lady greeted me and offered me some tastings of various kinds of sake. I tried a variety of samples in the tasting room, where the atmosphere was lively with regular customers enjoying their tastings. They had sweet sake, wine, and local sake from Otaru, all of which were delicious. I ended up purchasing about 5 bottles including the Otaru sake "Takaragawa" for 1300 yen and the limited edition Hokkaido wine "Perle" for 1800 yen. I had them sent to my home. The shipping cost for multiple bottles from Tanaka Sake Brewery was very reasonable. Takaragawa is a crisp and delicious Japanese sake! Although I couldn't taste Perle at the brewery, it turned out to be really tasty when I opened it at home. Perle means "pearl" in German and is recommended for those who like sweet and fruity wines. The conversations with the regular customers and the staff in the tasting room made for a wonderful memory of my trip.