Let’s all enjoy the freshly pressed new sake together. But—who will drive?
Tour around the sake breweries in Saitama and Chiba in one day. Everyone gets to try a variety of sake, and you can even pack up a whole case of souvenirs. We’ll guide you through a model course for a winter sake brewery tour using a private jumbo taxi.
"I want to try some new sake this year; I want to compare it in the brewery"—four friends of the sake lovers in a winter weekend. But when it comes to planning, the first problem is "who will drive?" Even if we visit the brewery, the person who holds the wheel cannot try the sake. In this article,Private taxi tour of sake breweriesWith the idea of enjoying the sake in a fun way, we will introduce in detail, along with the names of the actual breweries, how to spend a day enjoying the freshly brewed sake from Saitama and Chiba.
Winter sake brewery tour: Obstacles that stand in the way of everyone wanting to try it
New sake brewed from freshly pressed rice usually arrives from November to January. The sake breweries open their doors for the public in February or March. During this time, you might want to visit the breweries with friends and family, but if you plan it yourself, you’ll often encounter the following obstacles:
Only one of them can't drink.
If you go by car, the driver will have to endure the tasting. With just one word, "I'll drive today," the person you were most looking forward to will be unable to drink, creating a sense of sadness.
The library is far from the station, and there are also few books available.
Many sake breweries are located in the suburbs, and many of them are not even close to the nearest train station. If you take the train or bus instead of driving, it becomes time-consuming to visit two or three breweries in a day.
The new sake I bought is heavy to carry around.
If you buy several bottles of sake that are freshly brewed or in a one-liter bottle, the bottle will be heavy and bulky. Carrying it by hand to the next sake brewery, standing around on the train, and doing that will reduce the enjoyment by half.
Here's the point:The problem with touring sake breweries is not so much choosing which brewery to visit, butEveryone wants to try a variety of wines; they want to visit multiple wineries efficiently; they want to easily take home the wine they bought.These three points are summarized into one: with a one-stop rental service, you can solve all three at once.
Model Course: Tour around sake breweries in Saitama and Chiba in one day
With a charter jumbo taxi, you can form your own group freely, from the morning pick-up to your return home at night, while making stops along the way. For example, here’s a day like this.
- Morning: Pick up at your home or at the stationPick up four to nine friends in one vehicle. From the moment you set off, it feels like a trip.
- 1 Chozome: Tasting sake and watchingAt the stores in Reneta and Umeo, you can observe the brewing process and taste the representative products while having a drink. Since there is no designated driver, everyone can toast together.
- Lunch: Lunch at a local shopEnjoy seasonal dishes and a drink near the store. With a car, you can choose the restaurant freely.
- 2 Zokome: A tasting of freshly squeezed sakeNew sake, sake brewed from rice that has been fermented, and raw sake in small quantities. I bought the bottle I liked at the time and took it to the cargo hold.
- 3 stores or direct sales outlets: Purchase souvenirsThe one-liter bottles can also be stacked together, so you can buy them without worrying about the weight.
- In the evening: Everyone went home straight awayZero worries about driving. We can talk about our favorites of the day in the car.
Shops and places to visit (Saitama and Chiba)
Within the area covered by our services, there are numerous breweries where you can enjoy tours, tastings, and direct sales. You can choose the combination of activities according to your preferences.
Kikizakecho, a small Edo-style tavern (Kawagoe City)
As a tourist destination, we sampled a large number of local sake from Saitama Prefecture. It pairs well with a stroll through Kawagoe, serving as a starting point or end of the day.
Shiranui Sake Brewery (Renraji City)
A long-established establishment founded in the 1st year of Keio era. This is the brewery where you can experience a tour of the sake brewing process and try the famous brand sake "Shiryu."
Kitakaze Brewery (Oarai City)
The representative brand brewed with groundwater from Chichibu is "Bunraku". They are also actively experimenting with new fermentation methods such as sweetened sake and salt-fermented sake.
Fermentation Village Kokusaki (Shinza City)
This is a fermentation town in Chiba where there are two breweries, the Nakane Brewery and the Terada Brewery. Every year in mid-March, the "Brewery Festival" turns the street into a pedestrian-only area and becomes bustling with tastings.
Guidelines for how to use:New sake brewed fresh in November and January is mainly produced in January and February; events such as the sake brewery festival and the "Fermentation Village Kosaiki Sake Brewery Festival" take place in March and April. Kanzaki Town is conveniently located about a 5-minute drive from the Kanzaki Interchange on the Kanmon Highway, making it easier for visitors to get around by car. Since each brewery has its own admission procedures for tours and tastings, and different closed days, please check with each brewery in advance for details (※ Please note that those over 20 years old and those in good health should enjoy tasting sake).
Let me answer the most common concerns first.
Is it really okay for everyone to drink?
Yes. We entrust the driving to professional drivers, so everyone who rides with us can enjoy the tasting. You don't need to choose a designated driver.
How much can you pack in a 1-liter bottle or a souvenir?
With a jumbo taxi that seats up to nine people, in addition to the luggage for the number of people, you can also pack a whole case of beer or wine into the luggage compartment. You don’t have to carry the heavy bottles by hand and walk around.
How many people can I ask for? What are the costs?
It is suitable for groups of 4 to 9 people. By renting one car and sharing the cost among the group, there are no additional fees for adding additional vehicles or for time-zone discounts. The exact price varies based on the number of people, the course, and the distance, so please contact us for a quote.Estimated FeesWhile watchingweb formPlease quote a price then.
When is charter not suitable?
If you only want to visit a single brewery with 1 or 2 people and you are close to the station, it may be enough to take the train or a regular taxi.When you want to tour multiple stores while everyone drinks togetherChartering is a reasonable option. How many people are you planning to visit?
Reservation Flow
- Contact:From the web form, please let us know the date, number of people, starting point, and which museums and areas you would like to visit.
- Plan and Estimate:Based on the location of the store and the time required, we will suggest a tour route that is not too strenuous and a price estimate.
- Booking Confirmed:Once you are satisfied with the content, we will finalize the order.
- Boarding on the day:We will pick you up at the designated location and guide you from one store to the next.
summary
The ultimate treat of a sake brewery tour is a drink shared with like-minded friends. Without imposing the role of driver on anyone, regardless of the distance from the station or the weight of the bottles, a day trip around the breweries in Saitama and Chiba—that’s what a private jumbo taxi can offer. Why not plan a sake brewery tour without a designated driver this year?
Consulting on a tour itinerary for a tour of sake breweries using new sake
Simply let us know the date, number of people, departure point, and the type of library you would like to visit. You can contact us 24 hours a day through the web form.
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