Hida sake breweries (sakagura)

Takayama is one of the cities with the highest concentration of sake breweries per inhabitant in all of Japan, with six active sakagura in the historic centre of Sanmachi-suji. The icy water of the Japanese Alps and the extreme cold of winter create the perfect conditions to ferment the most delicate sake, and Hida sake is considered among the best in the country. The most visited breweries —Funasaka, Hirata, Miyako— have their shops open to the public and offer a free tasting of one or two varieties, with the option to buy bottles from 600 ¥. The sakamai (the special rice for sake) they use comes largely from the fields of Hida. The most photogenic feature is the cedar balls (sugidama) hanging above the doors: a green ball indicates that the new sake has just fermented, brown that it is now mature. The Funasaka brewery also has a small free sake museum. It is a must to visit at least two or three and compare styles: junmai daiginjo, muroka namazake (unfiltered) and amazake (non-alcoholic).