EXPERIENCE
BECOME A SAKE BREWER
Enter the brewery as a sake brewer, crafting sake using time-honored techniques under the guidance of the brewery owner for an authentic, one-of-a-kind sake experience.
Immerse yourself
in the life of a sake brewer
in the heart of Japan
In the Saku area of Nagano Prefecture sits a sake brewery with over 300 years of history.
Here, you can stay overnight, brew sake for yourself, and experience a day in the life of a sake brewer (kurabito in Japanese).
This is the one-of-a-kind experience provided by Kurabito Stay.
On the grounds of the brewery is a large building (hiroshiki) where sake brewers used to sleep in the days of old. We’ve breathed new life into its historic architecture to create living quarters for our guests.
Go for a stroll outside the brewery, and you’ll find the town and its people waiting to welcome you as a sake brewer.
Open for booking
[New Program] Kurabito Experience: Koji Master (2-night, 3-day) 48 Hours of Tradition Through All Five Senses
Sat. Sep.19th - Mon. Sep.21st, 2026【Program confirmed】3 spots still available
Open for booking
Oct. to Nov. 2026 2-night, 3-day Kurabito Experience (Sake Brewing Experience / “Koji”and“Shubo” making )
Fri. Oct.16th - Sun. Oct.18th, 2026【Program confirmed】spot still available
Fri. Oct.23th - Sun. Oct.25th, 2026【Program confirmed】spot still available
Fri. Oct.30th - Sun. Nov.1st, 2026【Program confirmed】spot still available
Fri. Nov.6th - Sun. Nov.8th, 2026【Program confirmed】spot still available
Fri. Nov.13th - Sun. Nov.15th, 2026【Program confirmed】spot still available
Fri. Nov.27th - Sun. Nov.29th, 2026
Open for boooking
1-night 2-day Kurabito Experience (“Koji” making) Sep. to Dec. 2026
Sat. Sep.26th - Sun. Sep.27th, 2026
Sat. Oct 3rd - Sun. Oct.4th, 2026
Sat. Dec 5th - Sun. Dec.6th, 2026
Open for booking
1-night 2-day Kurabito Experience (“Koji” making) Apr. to Jun. 2026
Sat. Apr.25th - Sun. Apr.26th, 2026
Sat. Jun.6th - Sun. Jun.7th, 2026【Program confirmed】spot still available
Sat. Jun.13th - Sun. Jun.14th, 2026
Open for booking
Limited-time program! 1-night 2-day Kurabito Experience (“Koji” making plus special lesson) Apr. to May. 2026
Sat. Apr.18th - Sun. Apr.19th, 2026
Sat. May.9th - Sun. May.10th, 2026
Sold out
Feb. to Mar. 2026 2-night, 3-day Kurabito Experience (Sake Brewing Experience / “Koji”and“Shubo” making )
Fri. Feb.13th - Sun. Feb.15th, 2026【Program confirmed(FULL)】
Fri. Feb.27th - Sun.Mar.1st, 2026【Program confirmed(FULL)】
Fri. Mar.13th - Sun.Mar.15th, 2026【Program confirmed(FULL)】
Fri. Mar.20th - Sun.Mar.22nd, 2026【Program confirmed(FULL)】
Fri. Mar.27th - Sun.Mar.29th, 2026【Program confirmed(FULL)】
CYCLING TOUR
THE SAKE RICE FIELDS TRAIL
Let our ebikes take you on a deep dive through the rice fields of the Saku area. Immerse yourself in the region's history and culture while experiencing the air and soil with your own senses. Encounter the many different facets of Saku's natural beauty: starting in April as spring starts to turn the landscape green, followed by the lush colors and scents of summer, through to the golden fall harvests in October. And then when you drink Saku sake, you’ll recall the scenery of Saku.
BOOK NOW
Open for booking
The Sake Rice Fields Trail: Cycle through the sake rice fields – Summer 2026
Sat May 23rd – Sun May 24th 2026 available
Sat Jun. 20th –Sun Jun. 21st 2026 available
Sat Jun. 27th –Sun Jun. 28th 2026 available
Open for booking
The Sake Rice Fields Trail: Cycle through the sake rice fields – Early Summer 2026
Sat Apr. 11th – Sun Apr. 12th 2026 available
Sun May 3rd – Mon May 4th 2026 available
Tue May 5th –Wed May 6th 2026 available
Open for booking
The Sake Rice Fields Trail: Cycle through the sake rice fields (On-request private tour)
Ask us for your preferred date
FACILITIES
A Century-Old Space
Where Brewers Once Slept
A hundred-year old building where brewers once slept during the long and demanding brewing season has been renovated into comfortable, atmospheric sleeping quarters for guests taking part in our sake brewing experience.
READ MORE
IMPORTANT: Deposit for reservations
01.05.2023
KURABITO STAY
623-2, Usuda, Saku Shi, Nagano, 384-0301, Japan
LINK
Sakagura Hotel KIREI
Welcome to the historic Yanagimachi area of Ueda City in Nagano Prefecture. Part of the once bustling Hokkoku Kaido route that brought travelers and goods from the northwestern coast of Japan across to the eastern Kanto region, this lovingly preserved street looks almost the same today as it did in the Edo Period. The Okazaki Brewery has been making sake here for over 300 years, and local artisans have given an old store across the street a new lease on life by transforming it into the Sakagura Hotel KIREI. This exclusive private space decorated with handcrafted fittings, tableware, and works by local artists serves as a showcase for the Ueda area and its seasonal delicacies. Every sip of sake and every moment you enjoy here at the Sakagura Hotel KIREI is designed to reflect the geography and culture of the local Shinshu area.
Saku Brewery Agritourism Promotion Council
An organization devoted to spreading information on the Saku region’s sake, food culture, and the daily lives of the people of Saku who live nearby and have supported its 13 breweries, with a particular focus on traditional industries such as sake brewing and farming that have arisen from and make use of the region’s abundant water sources and rich natural environment.
Saku 13 Breweries
In the Saku region, there are thirteen breweries producing the miraculous beverage we call sake. This site introduces the faces behind each of Saku’s thirteen sake breweries. In addition to their own products, every year, all thirteen join forces to produce a single sake called SAKU 13.