Kamotsuru ─ The State-Banquet Sake of Hiroshima

Soul of the Kura

In April 2014, Prime Minister Abe poured
President Obama a cup of sake
at the Sukiyabashi Jiro sushi counter in Tokyo.

The world's photographers caught the bottle:
Kamotsuru Tokusei Gold,
shimmering with edible gold leaf.

For two days, every English-language sake article
mentioned the same brewery in Saijo.

Characteristics

Founded 1873 in Saijo, Hiroshima — one of Japan's three great sake towns.
Among the very first kura to commercialise daiginjo (1958).
Famous worldwide since 2014, when Prime Minister Abe served
Tokusei Gold to President Obama at Sukiyabashi Jiro.
Refined, polished, faintly floral — a state-banquet bottle
that anyone can pick up at a Hiroshima depachika.

Reasons to Visit

壱
Drink the Obama-Abe sake
Tokusei Gold — the bottle that quietly headlined a state dinner.
弐
Walk Saijo Sake Brewery Street
Eight working kura on one short walk; Kamotsuru sits at the head.
参
Time it for the October Sake Festival
Saijo's annual festival pours every Hiroshima brewery — over 1,000 bottles.
四
Pair with Itsukushima Jinja
Aki's first-rank shrine — the floating torii at Miyajima, one hour west by JR.
五
Eat Hiroshima oysters with the daiginjo
The Seto Inland Sea's oysters and Saijo sake were made for each other.

Tasting Etiquette

Try Tokusei Gold first.
Edible gold leaf glints in the cup — a celebration tradition.
Cool to 12°C, in a small wine glass.
Aromatics need a wider bowl.
Walk to the next brewery between sips.
Saijo's strip rewards comparison flights between kura.
Pair with seafood, not red meat.
Hiroshima oysters and tai sashimi flatter the bottle.
Buy a small bottle as a state-dinner-style gift.
Tokusei Gold makes an unforgettable souvenir.

Visit & Tasting

📍

Address

4-31 Saijo Hon-machi, Higashi-Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima 739-0011

🚄

Access

JR Sanyo Line → Saijo Station → 5 min walk

🕐

Hours

10:00–17:00

📅

Closed

Year-end / New Year

🥢

Tasting

Paid tasting · shop

📞

Reservation

Walk-in OK · brewery tour seasonal

🇬🇧

English

Yes

— Facilities —

🅿️ParkingYes

🚻RestroomYes

🏷️ShopYes

🍱RestaurantAdjacent

🗺 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 Labe

Complete the Sake Journey

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

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Kamotsuru Tokusei Gold Daiginjo 特製ゴールド大吟醸

Daiginjo · with edible gold leaf

The flagship — the Obama-Abe state dinner bottle. Refined, faintly floral, gold-flake garnished.

Kamotsuru Junmai Daiginjo Sho-rin 純米大吟醸双鶴

Junmai Daiginjo · 50% polish

A more food-friendly sister bottle — same precision, no gold leaf, more daily.

Kamotsuru Sasagae 幸純米吟醸

Junmai Ginjo · everyday Saijo

An approachable everyday bottle. Soft, faintly fragrant — perfect for first-time Saijo drinkers.

Pair With Pilgrimage

⛩

Ichinomiya of Aki Province

Itsukushima Jinja

厳島神社

The first-rank shrine of ancient Aki — UNESCO World Heritage.
The vermilion torii stands in the Seto Inland Sea,
half-submerged at high tide, walkable at low tide.
One hour west of Saijo by JR.
Visit at dawn; train back inland for sake at sunset.

Visit the Floating Torii →

Kamotsuru

🏨Stay Near the Kura

🚄Getting There

🍶Sake Tours & Tastings

🍵Sake Vessels & Bottles

Itsukushima Jinja