Itami City | ぐるっとおでかけ阪神北宝塚市・伊丹市・三田市・川西市・猪名川市

Deepen your understanding of culture at the birthplace of sake.

Itami, the birthplace of sake: Around the year 1600, Shinroku Yamanaka, a wealthy merchant in Osaka and the earliest ancestor of the Konoike Family, succeeded in brewing clear sake called "Morohakusumi-zake," which was different from conventional nigori-zake (unfiltered cloudy sake). This is said to be the start of seishu (refined sake). For over 400 years since then, Itami's seishu has been loved by many people.

: Arioka Castle Ruins

At the end of the Muromachi Period in 1574, Arioka Castle was largely remodeled by Araki Murashige who had defeated the Itami Clan. Enclosed in an area of townhouses lived in by Samurai residents, surrounded by moats and embankments, the castle was reputed to be completely impregnable castle.

Area around Itami 1-chome, etc.（In front of JR Itami Station）

: Miyanomae Bunka no Sato(Itami Gocho-kan, Itami Museum, Kakimori Bunko, and Museum of Arts & Crafts, Itami)

This is a cultural zone in which visitors can actually feel the history and culture of Itami. The Zone, which is composed of the "Former Residence of the Okada Family" (nationally designated Important Cultural Property), a town house from the Edo period with a sake celler, which is said to be the oldest in Japan; "Former Residence of the Ishibashi Family" (prefecturally designated Cultural Property); and "Shinmachiya," the general management office of this facility; introduces Itami's sake brewing and merchants' daily life through furniture and tools from and videos of those structures. In addition, the Zone also has the Itami Museum, Museum of Arts & Crafts, and Kakimori Bunko, which has a collection of materials of the culture of haikai (seventeen-syllable verse).

2-5-28 Miyanomae, Itami City

072-772-5959

10:00～18:00
Closed: Mondays (the following day if Monday is a holiday), and Dec. 29 -Jan. 3

Free (Admission is charged for the Itami Museum & Kakimori Bunko.)

: Shirayuki Brewery Village Chojugura & Chojugura Museum

This is a historical museum of Konishi Brewery Company, which continues to brew sake in Itami, the birthplace of sake. This facility has the “Brewery Museum,” where visitors can learn about sake brewing tools and Belgian beer; “Brewery Shop,” which is for selling Belgian beer and sake, as well as original goods and sake sold by measure; “Brewery,” where visitors can go on a study tour of the brewing process of Belgian-type local beer; and “Brewery Restaurant,” where visitors can enjoy freshly brewed beer and sake as well as dishes cooked with sake lees.

3-4-15 Chuo, Itami City

072-773-1323

Brewery Museum: 11:30～17:00, Brewery Restaurant: 11:30～22:30, Brewery Shop: 10:00～19:00
Closed: The 2nd Tuesday of the month　　

Free of charge

: Fujiyama-gura, Konishi Brewing Company

This is a modern brewery for “Shirayuki” by Konishi Brewing Company, and a sake-brewing plant that brews sake through techniques cultivated with traditional skills and experience, using the latest equipment. Here, visitors can go on a study tour of the sake-brewing process.

2-13 Higashi-Arioka, Itami City

072-775-0524　Study tour
available only for groups (Free of charge, but reservations are required and you must be accompanied by an interpreter.)

: Shubukan

This is a training hall, which first opened in 1786, for exercise and giving guidance on martial arts, a part of traditional Japanese culture, such as kendo (Japanese fencing), naginata (long-handled sword), and iaido (art of drawing a Japanese sword). (For study tours, please directly contact this facility.)

3-2-11 Nishidai, Itami City

072-773-1431