Online Tour of the Oldest Sake Brewery in Takayama, Gifu
Overview
Takayama is one of Japan’s historic centers of sake brewing, and on this online tour you'll go behind the scenes at Hirase, its largest and oldest brewery! Join our multilingual tour guide and dive into Japanese culture from the safety of your sofa.
Highlights
- Explore a historic sake brewery from the comfort of your home
- Learn the history and culture of Takayama sake from an English- or Chinese-speaking guide
- Go behind the scenes of the sake brewing process
- Direct your online guide for a closer look at whatever interests you most
- Enjoy flexible options — we offer a wide range of start times on a variety of video-calling apps
Key Information
Important Information
• All prices are per person: when booking, please select the actual number of people joining, regardless of the number of devices used • A reduced rate is available for groups of 11 or more; the maximum group size is 49 • All times listed are in JST, Japan Standard Time (UTC +09:00); please book accordingly • Due to time differences, please give us enough time to get back to you; we do not recommend booking this tour at the last minute • This is a live online experience; participants should have a fast, stable internet connection • Please be sure to install the required video-calling app on your device in advance • Note that for groups of 10 or more participants we will use Skype, and we do not use Zoom
- Please ensure your internet connection is fast enough for video calls; we cannot offer refunds in case of connectivity issues
- Recording the experience or sharing access with unregistered guests is strictly prohibited
- Please be punctual: latecomers may not be able to experience all parts of the tour; the tour will also not be extended to accommodate latecomers; if you are late by 10 minutes or more, the online tour may be canceled at your guide's discretion, and no refunds will be issued
- For group tours: *We will not issue any refunds if there are absent members on the day of your tour *We will not restart the tour from the beginning to accommodate latecomers
Note: For groups of 10 or more participants, we will use Skype. We do not use Zoom.
Booking
Description
In the mountains of Gifu Prefecture stands the historic city of Hida-Takayama. Here, the city’s cool climate, specialized rice, and pure water from the Hida Mountains have led to a long tradition of high-quality sake.
Today Takayama is best known for its picturesque Sanmachi Historic District, and at the heart of that townscape the old sake breweries still stand.
The city once had 56 sake breweries at its height, but changing fortunes have brought the number down to just seven. Still, concentrated in the center of Takayama they form the densest concentration of sake breweries in Japan. The largest and oldest of these is Hirase, which has been making sake for over 390 years.
On this online tour, a knowledgeable English- or Chinese-speaking guide shows you around the Hirase brewery for 20–30 minutes. You’ll deepen your knowledge of this timeless aspect of Japanese culture, and get new insight into Takayama, one of Japan’s unmissable sightseeing destinations.
Furthermore, you can direct the action! If there’s anything you want to see more closely or learn more about, don’t be shy to ask your guide to change up the focus. As a small-group tour, sometimes private, you’ll have a lot of control and a personalized experience that makes this tour a special experience of virtual travel.
How it works
- Please read the Important Information and Activity Rules carefully before booking
- Choose the number of participants who will join the experience
- Choose your preferred date and time, in the time zone of the experience host: JST (UTC +09:00)
- During checkout, let us know your preferred video-calling app (Facetime, WhatsApp, LINE, or Skype)
- After agreeing on the date and time, your host will send the link for your online experience by email with additional details
- Make sure you have the software, hardware, and any required items listed under What to Bring, plus a stable internet connection
