Miyasaka Brewery Masumi

The Miyasaka Brewery, maker of the acclaimed Masumi label, is one of Nagano's most important and rewarding sake destinations, set in the lakeside town of Suwa on a historic street where several breweries stand within a short stroll of one another. Founded in the seventeenth century, Miyasaka is famous well beyond its excellent sake for a landmark contribution to Japanese brewing: it is the birthplace of Kyokai yeast No. 7 (Kyokai nanago), a strain discovered here in the 1940s that proved so reliable and aromatic that it spread to breweries across the country and became one of the most widely used sake yeasts in Japan. Tasting Masumi at its source is, in a real sense, tasting a piece of modern sake history.

Suwa's setting is ideal for brewing. Cold winters, clean water fed by the surrounding mountains, and good local rice have supported sake production here for centuries, and the town's 'gokagura' — a run of five historic breweries lined up along a single street — is a celebrated destination for sake lovers, who can walk from cellar to cellar sampling distinct house styles in an afternoon. Masumi is the most renowned of the five, and its elegant tasting room and shop offer flights that range across its portfolio, from crisp, delicate junmai daiginjo to fuller-bodied, food-friendly styles. Knowledgeable staff explain the brewing process, the role of the famous No. 7 yeast, and how Suwa's climate shapes the sake, making a visit as educational as it is enjoyable.

Sake is woven deeply into Nagano's food culture. The prefecture's cool highlands produce excellent rice and pure water, and its sake pairs naturally with local specialities such as soba, freshwater fish, miso dishes, and mountain vegetables. A tasting at Masumi rounds out a Shinshu food itinerary that might also take in Togakushi soba, oyaki, and Zenko-ji's approach, offering the drink side of the region's table.

Suwa itself deserves time. The town sits on the shore of Lake Suwa, ringed by mountains and hot springs, and is home to the Suwa Taisha, one of Japan's oldest and most important shrine complexes, famous for its dramatic Onbashira festival held every six years. A brewery visit combines easily with the lakeside, the shrine, and the town's onsen, making for a well-rounded day.

The brewery is a short walk or taxi ride from JR Kami-Suwa Station on the JR Chuo Main Line, which is covered by the Japan Rail Pass and links Suwa conveniently with both Tokyo and Nagoya, so it is easy to reach without a car — a bonus for a destination built around tasting sake. Hours can vary and some days are closed, so checking ahead is sensible. For travellers who want to understand Japanese sake at a place that helped shape it, a tasting flight at Masumi, followed by a stroll past Suwa's five historic breweries, is one of the most memorable drink experiences in Nagano.