Enjoy the flavor of Washinoo Sake and Experience Hachimantai, Iwate
Hachimantai, Iwate.
Its beauty is augmented with the transparent glow of the fresh air, the scent of pristine spring water, and shine of the spring refined by the winter cold.
A tapestry of seasonal abundance blessed by the fertile soil created by its people and land and enriched by the food and agricultural tradition will please your palate in this Washinoo tour in Hachimantai in the brisk air of February when the sake making is at its peak
The tour starts with Washinoo sake brewery. Handmade soba (buckwheat) noodles are served as part of the tour.
The theme of the tour is "Washinoo." Washinoo is Hachimantai's local sake brand and boasts its taste created with organic sake rice harvested from our private rice field in Hachimantai. Our flagship, Washinoo Kinjirushi has a lot of fans in Iwate, which is the home of Nambu toji brew masters.
The tour will first take visitors to an event, The Greatest Selection of Tableware for Sake and Dining. This event marks the opening of the brewery every year in late February at Washinoo. Visitors can see different stages of sake making in the brewery and are shown sake cups made by local craftsman in the main building with traditional decor. Enjoy the taste of Washinoo served with these carefully crafted cups in a unique environment.
About Washinoo
Mt. Iwate is the symbol of Iwate. It is sometimes called Rock Eagle Mountain, as the shape of melting snow in the spring resembles an eagle. Washinoo, which literally means "eagle's tale," is the highest quality sake of Hachimantai brewed with the pristine spring water from this mountain. The brand has a long history dating back to 1829 when the brewery was founded.
The quality was assured domestically and internationally through prestigious awards including the Gold Prize from the Annual Japan Sake Awards and the Platinum Prize from KURA MASTER Le grand des japonais de Paris 2017, 2018 in France. Nevertheless, the brand is distributed in Iwate only within Japan and is difficult to find in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Hachimantai Mountain Hotel in the Hachimantai Onsenkyo
hosts a special sake experience event taught
by the 8th generation Washinoo brew master, Tomo Kudo.
The final stage or production that sets the richness of the sake is called Tamawari. This process adjusts the alcohol level by adding water to the sake. The water used for this is fresh underground spring water from Mt. Iwate. Now, let's see what happens when this water is added to Genshu - undiluted sake.
Visitors can experience first-hand the rich taste of the water and how the alcohol level affects the depth of the sake taste.
Enjoy Washinoo and Hachimantai food pairing
with the brew master
Dinner features a full-course meal using locally sourced ingredients with unique Washinoo sake selected carefully to match each dish. Enjoy the food and sake paring while listening to the brew master describing the sake.
Enjoy the unique taste of Hachimantai that no other places can offer including sake made with local water and locally grown sake rice and released locally only, as well as aged Junmai daiginjo sake.
Sake cups are made by a local Iwate craftsman who also participates in The Greatest Selection of Tableware for Sake and Dining. Sake can be enjoyed differently depending on the cups that hold it; how the aroma rises, how it feels in the hand, and how it touches the lips.
This will be a great opportunity for sake lovers to experience how ceramic, porcelain, or lacquerware match different types of sake.
Itinerary
Tour Summary
Bus tour with accommodation
Hachimantai Auberge Washinoo & Onsen
Dates of Tour: Fri, Feb 21-22, 2020
Twin share room: JPY 38,000
Single room: JPY 42,800
(The price displayed includes tax.)
Number of Participants: 20 (Accepted in order of application, with a minimum of 15 participants)
<Even Organizers/Contact Information>
Cosponsored by: The Hachimantai Farm Stay Council
Planning and implementation: MICHINORI TRAVEL TOHOKU
Phone: 0120-183-705
Hours: Weekdays 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturdays 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays and Holidays