Fri.Nov.21st - Sun.23rd, 2025
139,800yen(tax-included)Presenting
“Two Deep Nights at KITSUKURA”
An exclusive opportunity to participate in Kitsukura Sake Brewery’s Sake Offering Ritual
Complete with Dinner Party and Sake Brewing Experience
Friday, Nov. 21st to Sunday, Nov. 23rd 2025 (3 days, 2 nights)
We would like to extend a personal welcome to all sake fans looking to experience the most important day of the year at Kitsukura Sake Brewery. At the brewery, a ritual is held where the very first batch of sake brewed that year is offered to the god of sake, marking the start of the brewing season. All of the brewery’s employees take part in the ceremony, sharing with each other the joy of successfully completing the first sake pressing of the season, and praying for yet more delicious sake to be produced throughout the rest of the brewing season.
We are pleased to announce that we are conducting a special edition of the event for KURABITO STAY participants—a truly immersive experience open to a maximum of ten (10) special guests.
After the ceremony, guests will join Kitsukura Brewery President Mr. Tyler Ide for the “A Deep Night at KITSUKURA” dinner party, featuring good food, good company, and of course a free-flowing supply of Kitsukura’s delicious sake. This is a special experience for sake fans to discuss the future of the Kitsukura brewery with the president and brewery owner himself, all the while savoring the sublime taste of Kitsukura’s variety of sake brews. Dinner will be prepared by the acclaimed chef of “Oryouri Remon” (Restaurant Lemon), a local gourmet hotspot in the Usuda area. He will serve primarily meat dishes that pair perfectly with the strong impact of Kitsukura’s sake, including a sumptuous lunch box full of meat dishes with meat sushi as the main dish. After this delightful and delicious evening, you’ll want to get a good night’s sleep, as from the next morning on, you’ll be able to enjoy becoming a sake brewer!
Don’t miss this unique 3-day experience!
2-night, 3-day program where you can become a sake brewer. Each term available for 8 to 10 People (8rooms)
Languages Supported
With additional explanation in English.
(Mainly held in Japanese, but supplementary explanations will be given in English.)
Minimum Number of Participants
5 people
*We reserve the right to cancel the event if we do not reach the minimum of 5 applicants.
Fee
The price of 139,800 yen (per person, tax included)
Includes lodging for 2 nights and 3 days, along with 3 meals (2 breakfasts, 1 dinner)
Special participation in the new sake offering festival (Shinto ritual), Includes the Kurabito Experience (A hands-on sake brewing experience where you can take part in everything from rice washing and steaming to making koji and the fermentation process) and souvenirs: an original KURABITO STAY Tenugui (hand-cloth) , and one commemorative 720ml bottle of “Hana-sake” (Limited seasonal brew).
*Due to safety concerns, we cannot accept reservations from minors.
Special Presents
– All pictures taken during the Kurabito Experience will be made available for download. (For safety and hygiene concerns, please be aware that you will not be allowed to bring your camera or smartphone with you during the experience. Instead, KURABITO STAY staff will endeavor to take numerous and heartfelt photos of all of our participants.)
Also included in the fee:
Sake brewing lessons, rental boots to be worn during the experience, rental work clothes, sake seminar fee (including course materials), two nights’ lodgings, dinner for the first night (special Bento dinner from “Oryouri Lemon”), and breakfast (a healthy meal for sake brewers) on the second and third days(*)., and insurance.
(*Lunch and dinner on Day 2 are not included in the fee. You can go to eat at any restaurant of your choice in the area.)
Schedule
=== Day 1===
Visitors should plan to arrive at KURABITO STAY by 4:30 p.m. (Check-in is possible from 3:00 p.m. onward.)
4:30 – 5:15 p.m. Orientation
5:30 – 18:30 p.m. “Shinsyu kenjo sai” (Sake offering ritual)
19:30- p.m. Dinner
“KITSUKURA NIGHT”
(“Cuisine Lemon” ‘s Special Meat centric Bento served at KURABITO STAY.)
*This photo is for illustrative purposes.
about Restaurant: Oryouri Lemon
Operated by an owner-chef who trained at high-end Japanese restaurants in Tokyo’s Ginza and Roppongi districts, Cuisine Lemon features locally sourced ingredients like Shinshu salmon and prunes and Saku carp all prepared masterfully into artistic, delightful dishes. Savor a gorgeous Japanese meal featuring tastes you can only find in Saku, paired with local sake for a singular experience.
Sake to be served on the day
– Tamayura (Sparkling Sake)
– Kura (Junmai daiginjo)
– Kura (daiginjo)
– Mujinzo (Junmai ginjo “Hiyaoroshi”)
– Mujinzo (Junmai ginjo)
– Kikuhide (junmai)
– Hanazake (Regular grade Nama sake)
– Taruzake（wooden cask sake）
*The above order is subject to change.
*This photo is for illustrative purposes.
Rest for the next day’s work.
=== Day 2 ===
7:00 – 7:30 a.m. Breakfast (a healthy meal for sake brewers; with everyone saying “Itadakimasu!” together)
8:00 – 8:15 a.m. A traditional purification ritual will be conducted before entering the brewery.
8:15 – 10:45 a.m. Sake brewing experience
(From rice steaming and making “Shubo” Sake starter or making koji)
While the rice is being steamed, participants will be taken on a tour of the brewery facilities (you may bring your own camera at this time).
10:45 – 11:15 a.m. Break
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Sake tasting seminar with Tyler Ide, President of Kitsukura Sake Brewing Company.
12:00 p.m. Free time
You are free to eat lunch at any establishment of your choice.
We encourage you to take this opportunity to eat at one of Saku’s “Kurabito Friendly shops”, which offer special food and drink menus for participants.
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Sake brewing experience(*)
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Sake brewing experience (washing rice)
4:30 – 5:15 p.m. Sake brewing experience(*)
*If the timing is right, it will be possible for participants to take part in four aspects of the brewing process: picking out koji, temperature measuring, creating the starter mash (“shubo”), and mixing (“kai-ire”). Sake brewing, however, is a delicate and precise operation, and it is not possible to know precisely which elements of the process you will be able to experience until the day comes. In the event that the above experiences are not available, you will instead have the chance to participate in preparing sake for shipment or cleaning equipment, which are equally important parts of the brewing process.
(Sake brewing is depending on innumerable microorganisms, and thus specific details of the process vary widely any given day. We reserve the right to alter or cancel certain aspects of the experience if things do not go entirely according to schedule, and ask you for your understanding and cooperation.)
5:30 p.m. onward Free time
For dinner on the second day, you may eat at the establishment of your choice.
We encourage you to take this opportunity to eat at one of Saku’s “Kurabito Friendly” shops.
=== Day 3 ===
7:00 – 7:30 a.m. Breakfast (a healthy meal for sake brewers; with everyone saying “Itadakimasu!” together)
8:00 – 10:45 a.m. Sake brewing experience
(Rice steaming and carrying to the koji-muro, or koji room, making koji)
While the rice is being steamed, we will conduct a “koji seminar”, where you’ll learn all about this remarkable fermenting agent and its many health benefits.
10:45 – 11:00 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 Final examination!
A total review for 2 nights and 3 days!
We will hold a ceremony to hand over the “Experience Completion Certificate” from the brewer.
Checkout (payment)
After checkout, you’ll have the opportunity to buy souvenirs for the road.
The experience will end at around 12 noon.
For lunch, we encourage you to patronize another of the “Kurabito Friendly” shops in the area.