Near my 1LDK apartment in Toyota city is a local independent bottle shop. The owner has a great selection of Japanese beers from all over the country, including Okinawa and Kyoto. While there’s no doubt I’m a fan of beer, I’m also a fan of samurai, so when I saw this bottle with the legendary samurai Sakamoto Ryoma on the label, I had to give it a go!
Samurai Beer
Sakamoto Ryoma Kizakura beer from Kyoto
The name of this beer can be translated into Soldier of Fortune Alto 「幕末の風雲児 アルト」 referring to Sakamoto’s status as a revolutionary.
After deciphering the label and researching the brewery, I was surprised to find that this beer by Kizakura 「黄桜」 Breweries is from the Fushimi area of south Kyoto. This is the same area where the amazing Fushimi Inari Shrine is located.
Fushimi is the oldest sake brewing area in Kyoto. The water known as Fushi-Mizu 「伏水」 is famous for its quality. The brewery produces sake (nihon-shu), beer and water.
The actual building in Fushimi is called Kizakura Kappa Country 「キザクラカッパカントリー」. If you’d like to visit, the brewery is in easy walking distance from Fushimi-momoyama Station, a few stops south of Fushimi-inari Station.
More information is available in both Japanese and English about Kizakura Brewery.
Location of the brewery:
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View this location – Map coordinates: 34.930651,135.760527.
Related links:
- Video inside my 1LDK apartment
- Photos from Toyota city
