Sake Pilgrimage · 酒蔵巡礼JA
Iga Province · 伊賀国
奉醸 伊賀国上野 半蔵 伊賀忍者 創業 享保二年 — Founded 1717 — 服部半蔵の里 伊賀の酒 令和八年皐月吉日 大田 伊賀
半 蔵

Hanzo

— The Iga Ninja Sake —
Audio Guide
Hanzo — One Minute of Stillness
A 300-year brewery in the homeland of Hattori Hanzo
0:00−:−−
Drink quietly. Iga sake follows the ninja's first rule.
Soul of the Kura
Iga is the homeland of the ninja.
Of Hattori Hanzo, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu —
and whose name now sits on every bottle from this brewery.

The Ohta family began brewing here in 1717.
The kura sits between the Iga limestone hills
and the great cedars of nearby Ise.
Sake at the meeting point of two great traditions:
warrior craft and Imperial pilgrimage.
Characteristics
Founded 1717 by the Ohta family in Iga-Ueno, Mie.
Brewed in the homeland of Hattori Hanzo and the Iga ninja —
the bottle bears Hanzo's name.
Limestone-filtered Iga water yields an unusually pure sake.
Clean, soft, faintly fragrant —
the official sake of the annual Ueno Ninja Festival,
and a quiet favourite of Mie's pilgrim circuit to Ise.
Reasons to Visit
Tasting Etiquette
  1. Drink from a small ceramic cup.
    Iga ware itself is famous; bottles often pair with local pottery.
  2. Cool to 12°C in a wine glass for the daiginjo.
    A wider bowl unlocks the brewery's quiet aromatics.
  3. Pair with Iga beef tataki.
    The local pairing — clean sake answers fatty wagyu.
  4. Try at the Ueno Ninja Festival in April.
    Hanzo pours official festival sake from black-clad booths.
  5. Drink quietly. Iga style.
    Loud drinking does not suit a ninja-town brewery.
Visit & Tasting
📍
Address
1454 Nishi-Ohte-cho, Iga-shi, Mie 518-0824
🚄
Access
Iga Railway → Ueno-shi Station → 10 min walk
🕐
Hours
9:00–17:00
📅
Closed
Sundays · year-end
🥢
Tasting
Paid tasting
📞
Reservation
Tour by reservation
🇬🇧
English
Limited
— Facilities —
🅿️ParkingYes
🚻RestroomYes
🏷️ShopYes
🥷FestivalApr
🗺 Directions 🌐 Official Site 📍 Open in Maps 📜 All Breweries
※ Hours, fees and contact details may change seasonally — please confirm on the brewery's official site before your visit.
Signature Labels Complete the Sake Journey

Arrange your visit to Hanzo — stay nearby, get there, taste with a guide, or take a bottle home.

🏨Stay Near the Kura

Booking.comMie Iga AgodaMie Iga

🚄Getting There

KlookJR Pass KlookMie Iga transfers

🍶Sake Tours & Tastings

ViatorMie Iga sake tours GetYourGuideSake tasting

🍵Sake Vessels & Bottles

AmazonHanzo bottles AmazonTokkuri & ochoko

* Some links contain affiliate advertising. Commissions support this site's operation.

iv class="bottle-list">
Hanzo Junmai Daiginjo
Junmai Daiginjo · 50% polish
The flagship. Soft, faintly fragrant, with the limestone-pure Iga water signature.
Hanzo Tokubetsu Junmai
Tokubetsu Junmai · everyday Iga
A clean, structural everyday bottle — the post-museum afternoon sake of Iga-Ueno.
Hanzo Black Ninja Limited
Junmai Ginjo · Ueno Ninja Festival release
A black-bottled limited release for the April ninja festival. Cult collector item locally.
Recommended Pairings
Pair With Pilgrimage
⛩
Ichinomiya of Ise Province

Tsubaki Ōkami Yashiro

椿 大 神 社

The first-rank shrine of ancient Ise province, in Suzuka.
Enshrines Sarutahiko-no-Ōkami — kami of crossroads, beginnings, and protection.
Often visited as the "first stop" for pilgrims approaching Ise Jingu.
One hour east of the brewery; a complete Mie pilgrimage circuit.

Visit the Shrine →
© 2026 Spiritual Away. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy·Terms·Disclaimer·Affiliate Disclosure