The is a

sake Sake, , or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indeed any East Asi ...

(rice wine)

matsuri Japanese festivals, or , are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. The origin of the word ''matsuri'' is related to the ; there are theories that the word ''matsuri'' is derived from meaning "to wait (for ...

festival held annually in Saijō

Higashihiroshima 270px, Sake Brewers in Saijō 270px, Panorama from Saijō Station 270px, Aerial view of Saijō area of Higashihiroshima is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 190,186 in 90,294 households a ...

, Hiroshima Prefecture,

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Saijō is famed for local sake or . Within the narrow streets of the Sakagura Dori ("Sake Storehouse Road") area near JR Saijō Station are the

Namako wall ''Namako'' wall or ''Namako-kabe'' (sometimes misspelled as ''Nameko'') is a Japanese wall design widely used for vernacular architecture, vernacular houses, particularly on fireproof storehouses by the latter half of the Edo period. The ''namak ...

(white-lattice walled) and (red-roof tile) roofs of ten well-known sake breweries; Chiyonoharu, Fukubijin, Hakubotan, Kamoki, Kamoizumi, Kamotsuru, Kirei, Saijotsuru, Sakurafubuki, and Sanyotsuru. In July 1995, Saijō was made the home of the Brewery Laboratory of the National Tax Office. The Saijō Sake Matsuri is an important part of

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

culture, which draws crowds of between 100,000 and 200,000 revelers and sake connoisseurs each October before the brewing season (October–March) begins. Visitors also enjoy numerous attractions, sidestalls and games. There is also a wide variety of traditional as well as modern carnival food available.

References

Tourist attractions in Hiroshima October Autumn festivals Wine festivals Annual events in Japan Autumn in Japan Festivals in Hiroshima Prefecture {{Japan-festival-stub