Sake Matsuri

Overview

The Saijo Sake Matsuri is held over two days on the second Saturday and Sunday of October each year, centered on Saijo Central Park and the Saijo Sakagura-dori in the Saijo district of Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Saijo is a renowned sake-producing town known as one of Japan's three great brewing regions alongside Nada and Fushimi, and the festival draws 200,000 visitors over the two days as a leading event representing the "sake capital" of Saijo.

History and Origins

The predecessor of the Sake Matsuri is the "Everyone's Festival" born in 1974. In 1990, members of the chamber of commerce of the time took the lead in developing it into today's Sake Matsuri, placing "sake" at its symbolic center. Since then it has become established as a festival enjoyable by a wide range of ages, including sake lovers as well as those who cannot drink and families. Saijo has long prospered through the sake-brewing industry, and the Sakagura-dori is lined with breweries of white plaster and namako walls, with red tiles and chimneys creating an atmosphere befitting the sake capital.

Highlights

The main venue, Saijo Central Park, has the "Sake Hiroba" (paid), where one can compare and taste renowned sake from across Japan, a symbolic corner of the festival. Also in the park, the "Izakaya Plaza for 5,000 People" features kagura and citizen performances on stage. On the Saijo Sakagura-dori, which becomes a pedestrian zone, each brewery along the road offers brewery tours, tastings, and sales, serves the Saijo specialty "bishu-nabe" hotpot and udon, and holds brewery concerts. The KIZUNA venue at the Kamotsuru brewery hosts kagura and jazz concerts. There are also hero shows and game corners for children and booths of local professional sports teams, making the program considerate of visitors who do not drink.

Event Information & Access

It is held over two days on the second Saturday and Sunday of October each year (subject to variation). The venue is the Saijo district of Higashihiroshima City; the nearest station is Saijo on the JR Sanyo Main Line. The main venue, Central Park, is about a 5-minute walk away, and the Sakagura-dori is just before the station. During the festival, special trains run between Hiroshima and Saijo, and the area around the venue becomes a pedestrian zone. As parking is limited, temporary parking is set up around Hiroshima University, with shuttle buses operating.

Around the Venue

The Saijo Sakagura-dori is a historic townscape of white-plaster breweries and brick chimneys, a popular walking route where one can enjoy brewery tours and tastings even outside the festival period. Famous breweries such as Kamotsuru, Hakubotan, and Kirei gather here, offering a chance to experience sake culture. Higashihiroshima City is also an academic city home to Hiroshima University, and being close to central Hiroshima, it is easy to combine with Hiroshima sightseeing.

Related Information

• Month: Second Saturday-Sunday of October (autumn)
• Prefecture: Hiroshima (Chugoku)
• Venue: Saijo Central Park and Saijo Sakagura-dori (Higashihiroshima City)
• Predecessor: "Everyone's Festival" (1974), developed around "sake" from 1990
• Attendance: About 200,000 over the two days

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