Hizen Hamashuku Sakagura-dori

Hizen Hamazhuku, located in Kashima City, Saga Prefecture, is an area that originally boomed during the Edo and Meiji eras for its sake and soy sauce production. It’s sake brewing in particular is said to have flourished since ancient times due to a trifecta, pure waters that flow from the Taradake mountain range, delicious rice from the Shiroishi Plain, and its access to shipping ports in Nagasaki via the Ariake Sea.

Before the war there were as many as 10 different breweries, but now you’ll find 4 that are still open today. The 600-meter long street is lined with samurai estates, breweries, and white-walled buildings that are together registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property. Along the way you’ll find breweries giving tours, free sake tasting corners and shops where you can taste and compare, and sakes with plenty of unique flair that draw visitors from across Japan and around the world.

During the Edo period, Hizen Hamashuku was a post town along the Tarakaido road. Today you can still find a “Tsugiba”, a building that was dedicated to transporting traveler’s luggage between post towns, that is now used as a tourist information center. For extra help you can even find local guides here, ready to share more about the deep history and culture behind Hizen Hamashuku.