Our two-day KURABITO Experience
The September program is now open!
Sat. Sep. 18th~ Sun. 19th 8 to 10 People【closed(full)】
Sat. Sep. 25th~ Sun. 26th 8 to 10 People【cancel】
*This KURABITO experience program will be making koji (rice with the mold that is the heart of the fermentation process) for amazake or sake sparkling.
Languages Supported
Japanese with additional support explanations in English.
Maximum Occupancy
We have 8rooms in total, 6 rooms for 1 person, 2 rooms for 2 people.
* If you are applying for 2 people, please let us know at the time of application which room type you would like. If there is no mention of it, we will contact you by email.
Minimum Number of Participants
6 people
*We reserve the right to cancel the event if we do not reach the minimum of 6 applicants. Furthermore, we will judge the feasibility of holding the event based upon the state of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time, so please be aware that the event may be canceled at the last minute. We apologize for the uncertainty, and thank you for your understanding.
Fee
Includes lodging for 1 nights and 2 days, along with 2 meals (1 breakfasts, 1 dinner)
Includes the Kurabito Experience (A hands-on Kurabito experience where you can take part in everything from rice washing and steaming to making koji and starting the fermentation process) and souvenirs: an original KURABITO STAY Tenugui (hand-cloth), an original KURABITO STAY Kawarake (A unglazed flat cup made by potter Haruya Abe *Used in the Shinto ritual), one 300ml bottle of sake (Junmai dai ginjo, not sold in stores), one 900g bottle of Amazake and 200g of raw-koji. (*Please be aware that we cannot ship abroad.)
The price of 42,900 yen (per person, tax included)
-If you live in Nagano Prefecture, please take advantage of the special “Shinshu-wari Special for Prefectural Residents”.
Amount of discount: 5000 yen+ Tourist Coupon 2000 yen (This will be given to you upon check-in.)
※You need to make your reservation by Tue.Aug.31th .
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.)
– At the end, you will be presented with a certificate commemorating your completion of the Kurabito Experience.
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), one night’ lodgings, dinner on the first night at Cuisine Lemon (featuring a special menu for sake brewers and three varieties of sake from Saku, carefully chosen by the proprietor), and breakfast (a healthy meal for sake brewers) on the second day, completion certificate and insurance.
To celebrate our first anniversary, we would like to express our gratitude!
A sake server has been installed on the first floor of the KURABITO STAY building. The limited edition sake from Kitukura Shuzo and seasonal sake from the Saku area can be enjoyed free of charge for our guests.
Schedule
=== Day 1===
Visitors should plan to arrive at KURABITO STAY by 14:00 (Check-in is possible from 13: 00 onward.)
14:00 – 14:30 Orientation
14:30 – 15:30 A tour of the brewery facilities
15:30 – 15:40 A traditional purification ritual will be conducted before entering the brewery.
15:40 – 16:30 Sake brewing experience (washing rice)
16:30 – 17:00 Sake brewing experience (Sorting Koji)
17:00-17:15 – Break
17:15- 17:30 “Making Amazake with rice cooker” experience
We will give you an amazake recipe card (adequate temperature and tips on
how to make it) made with a rice cooker!
*The demonstration will use a yogurt maker.
After break, we will travel on foot to the restaurant for dinner. (a 10-minute walk)
18:00 – Dinner and socializing
Featuring a special menu for sake brewers and 3 varieties of sake chosen by the proprietor.
*This photo is for illustrative purposes.
Restaurant: Cuisine 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.
* Food and drink orders in addition to the provided course will incur a separate fee.
After dinner, return to KURABITO STAY (10-minute walk)
Go to sleep for the next day’s work.
=== Day 2 ===
7:00 – 7:30 Breakfast (a healthy meal for sake brewers; with everyone together saying “Itadakimasu!”)
8:00 – 10:45 a.m. Kurabito experience
(From rice steaming and carrying to the koji-muro, or koji room)
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 – 11:15 Closing ceremony
A ceremony will be held where the brewer will give you a “certificate of completion of the experience”.
Checkout (payment)
The program will end at around 12 noon.
At Kitsukura Sake Brewing’s ”Shuraku” store, you’ll have the opportunity to buy souvenirs for the road.
For lunch, we encourage you to patronize another of the “Kurabito Friendly” shops in the area.
A Request When You Travel
So that all our guests can have an enjoyable trip while being ensured of safety and security, we ask all participants to read and understand the following before applying for the campaign.
Our Efforts, and a Request to our Guests
The following page summarizes KURABITO STAY’s efforts to provide a safe, secure, and enjoyable experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as our requests for our customers. We ask that you read it thoroughly.
REGARDING KURABITO STAY’S EFFORTS TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19
Information about preparation for Kurabito experience