Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum

The Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum tells the history of sake in Japan. Permanent exhibits include more than 400 items used in the production and display of the drink, including barrels, serving vessels, and more. Throughout the museum, the traditional chants of sake makers are played through speakers, to recreate the atmosphere of the old brewery. Sake samples are provided at the end of the tour.

Visitors can join a general tour or a more in-depth tour, where they can see and learn about the fermentation of unrefined sake at the adjoining working brewery. Many travelers visit independently, although some food and drink-focused tours include this museum on their itinerary, along with a Japanese lunch or time at a traditional izakaya bar-restaurant.

• Paying visitors will receive a small bottle of sake or a commemorative postcard as a souvenir.
• Kids aged 11 and under get free entrance.
• While English speakers usually use the word “sake” to refer to Japanese fermented rice wine, in Japanese, sake means all forms of alcohol; rice wine is called Nihonshu, or Japanese liquor. This museum is focused on Nihonshu.

Even if you have a rental vehicle while traveling in Japan, it’s best to get here by public transport so you can enjoy the sake samples. The museum is a short walk from Chushojima, Fushimi-Momoyama, and Momoyama-Goryomae train stations.

The museum is open most days, apart from some major Japanese holidays. Opening hours are from mid-morning until late afternoon.

An izakaya is a traditional Japanese bar and eatery that serves simple food, rather than haute cuisine, and Japanese liquor. They tend to be quite affordable places to eat and drink, too. After your tour of the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, put your new knowledge of the drink to the test by sampling some more at an izakaya. These can be found all over the city but the downtown area has a large concentration. For a more traditional Japanese atmosphere, head to the historic Gion area.

Gekkeikan sake hails from the riverside town of Fushimi, just south of Kyoto. The traditional Japanese sake is made at Fushimi sake brewery, founded and run by the Okura family since 1637. Today, the company also has a subsidiary, Gekkeikan Sake (USA) Inc., that brews the beverage in Folsom, California.

Yes, Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum is worth visiting if you’re interested in sampling traditional sake and learning how the ancient Japanese rice wine is produced. At the museum you will see century-old sake-making equipment, hear traditional chants, and taste three different sakes. All paying visitors take home a sake-themed gift.

No, you don’t need to purchase admission tickets in advance, but at busy times you may need to wait to enter. Guided tours of the museum and brewery must be reserved in advance. The museum is open from 9:30am–4:30pm daily (except for New Year’s and O-Bon holiday periods).

Yes, you can visit the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum independently. The museum’s exhibitions have English-language translations, and there’s a free audio guide app and a self-serve sake tasting. Guided tours can be booked in advance. To reach the museum from Kyoto, take the Kintetsu Kyoto train line to Momoyamagoryo-Mae Station.

Admission tickets to the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum cost ¥600 for adults and ¥100 for visitors 13 to 19 years old. Entrance is free for children 12 and under. The adult admission includes three sake tastings and a small bottle of sake, a sake cup, or a similar free gift.

Plan about an hour to visit the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, which includes a 10-minute video presentation; two main exhibition rooms; and a well, garden, and courtyard. Leave time to enjoy the included sake tasting at the end, and then browse the gift shop for Gekkeikan sakes and local specialties.