Chichibu Sake Brewery and Nagatoro Gorge Tasting Tour

This tasting tour is bookable through the Chichibu Tourism Association at +81-494-21-2277 or directly with Buko Shuzo brewery at +81-494-22-0046, and combines two of Chichibu's long-running sake breweries with a scenic transfer to the Nagatoro gorge. The route begins at Seibu-Chichibu Station with a tour of Buko Shuzo, a brewery established in 1753 that still produces sake using well water drawn from the Chichibu mountains, followed by a tasting flight of its core labels. Participants then transfer by train or taxi to Nagatoro for a visit to Yao Honten, home of the Chichibu Nishiki label and brewing since 1749, where a second tasting is paired with miso konnyaku — cubes of konjac jelly skewered and grilled with a sweet miso glaze, a Chichibu specialty snack. The tour also includes a sampling of amazake, a low-alcohol or non-alcoholic sweet fermented rice drink, useful for participants pacing themselves between the two sake tastings. An optional stop at a Nagatoro river gorge viewpoint rounds out the afternoon, taking in the columnar rock formations along the Arakawa River. Included in the price are both brewery tastings, the miso konnyaku pairing, the amazake sample, and the transfer between the two breweries; not included are the train or taxi fare beyond what is arranged by the tour, any additional bottles purchased at the brewery shops, and meals beyond the pairing snacks. Group sizes are generally small, formed from a mix of independent travelers and couples, and the tour is conducted primarily in Japanese, though the tourism association can arrange English-speaking assistance with advance notice. Because the tour centers on alcohol tasting, non-drinkers can substitute additional amazake servings at both breweries rather than the sake flights. The brewing season from October to March is the most atmospheric time to visit, as both breweries are in active production and the air inside carries the scent of fermenting rice.