If you are traveling through Hiroshima in October, the Saijo Sake Festival 2026 is an event worth adding to your itinerary.
The festival will be held on October 10 and 11, 2026, around JR Saijo Station in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture.
Saijo is one of Japan’s best-known sake-brewing districts. Just a short walk from the station, historic sake breweries stand side by side along narrow streets, with traditional white walls, red-brick chimneys, old wooden buildings, and wells supplying the local water used in sake brewing.
For most of the year, Saijo is a relatively quiet town. But once a year, during the Sake Festival, the atmosphere changes completely.
Breweries welcome visitors, the streets fill with people, and sake lovers come from across Japan and overseas to experience the culture of Japanese sake in the place where it is actually made.
What Can You Experience at the Saijo Sake Festival?
One of the highlights is the Sake Hiroba, where visitors can discover and compare Japanese sake from different regions.
But the festival is about much more than drinking sake.
Walking through the brewery district itself is part of the experience. You can see historic breweries, traditional sake-making architecture and the wells that provide the water essential to Saijo’s brewing culture.
Local food is another attraction. One dish closely associated with Saijo is Bishunabe, a hot-pot dish originally created for brewery workers. Its simple seasoning was designed so that it would not interfere with the delicate aroma and taste of sake.
For international visitors interested in Japanese food culture, craftsmanship and traditional townscapes, Saijo offers something quite different from the usual sightseeing destinations.
Saijo — A Town Shaped by Sake
What makes the Saijo Sake Festival especially interesting is its location.
This is not an event held in an exhibition hall or a temporary festival venue. It takes place in an actual brewing town.
Even outside the festival, you can walk between breweries, see old sake-making equipment, find wells supplying brewing water, and discover details of the town’s long relationship with rice, water and sake.
During the festival, that entire district becomes part of the celebration.
For travelers who want to experience Japanese sake beyond simply ordering a bottle at a restaurant, this is an excellent opportunity to see the culture behind the drink.
Saijo Sake Festival 2026
- Dates: Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, 2026
- Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Area: Around JR Saijo Station, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
A Small Tip for International Visitors
You do not need to be a sake expert to enjoy Saijo.
Take your time walking through the brewery district, look at the old buildings and chimneys, visit the brewing-water wells, try local food, and compare different styles of sake.
And remember: sake can be stronger than it tastes. Drink slowly, enjoy it with food and water, and let the train take you home.
For two days in October, Saijo becomes one of the most exciting places in Japan to discover the world of sake.
Special Guest: Yuki Koyanagi 11/OCT 16:00～
The 2026 festival will also feature a special live performance by Japanese singer Yuki Koyanagi, best known for her hit song “Anata no Kiss wo Kazoemashou – You Were Mine.”
