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Meet your Host, Kazuaki

Sake Guide

Kazuaki Kaneda

Hi, I’m Kazuaki Kaneda, a sake guide based in Himeji, Japan.

I was born and raised in Himeji, a beautiful and peaceful city near Kobe and Osaka, best known for its livability and for Himeji Castle—Japan’s only UNESCO World Heritage castle.

Until the age of 29, I worked in the food and beverage industry, mainly as a restaurant staff member while dedicating myself to basketball in my spare time.

At the age of 30, I made a life-changing decision: to restart my career by using English.

I began studying seriously and, within two years, achieved a TOEIC score of over 900.

That led me to join a local sake brewery, where I was in charge of welcoming inbound visitors—explaining sake products in English and sharing the appeal of Japanese sake directly with international guests.

Through this role, I developed a deep interest in sake—not just as a drink, but as a rich part of Japanese culture and history.

A turning point came when I met a Dutch couple whose genuine curiosity about sake and Japanese life left a lasting impression on me.

That encounter inspired me to start designing my own original sake experiences that go beyond tasting—to include storytelling, writing, and cultural context.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person tours were suspended, I created an English-language guide based on the concept of “Enjoying Japanese Sake at Home—even during lockdown.”

My aim was to help people experience the joy of sake and Japanese culture wherever they were in the world.

As face-to-face activities resumed in 2023, I not only relaunched my sake tours and sightseeing experiences in Himeji and the Kansai area, but also began guiding a variety of tours in different regions of Japan, based on guest interests and opportunities.

In 2024, I expanded my cultural exchange efforts through a community I founded—Himeji International Exchange.

This local and online community brings together people from diverse backgrounds to share language, culture, and meaningful conversation through weekly events and meetups.

Currently, I offer three main sake experiences:



❶Sake-Kanji-Hopping Tour


A cultural journey through sake labels and writing your name in kanji.


❷One-Day Sake Brewery Tour in Nadagogo


Explore Japan’s most renowned sake-producing region.


❸Customized Sake Tour


Tailored experiences based on your specific interests and preferences.



Sake is more than just a drink—it’s a cultural bridge.

It has helped me connect with people from all over the world, and I believe it can do the same for you.

Whether you're a first-time drinker or a long-time enthusiast, my goal is to create meaningful cultural exchanges through stories, smiles, and sake.

Let’s explore the world of sake together—one story and one glass at a time.


＊Experience & Credentials


・Over 7 years working at a local sake brewery

・Certified International Kikizakeshi (Sake Sommelier)

・Creator of an English-language guide on enjoying Japanese sake at home

・Developer of original sake tours for international guests

・Tour-related Licensed Tour Conductor (Ryotei Kanri Shuninsha)

・Guided over 100 sake and cultural tours  in various areas across Japan for inbound travelers

・Founder and organizer of Himeji International Exchange, a local & online community promoting cultural and language exchange through weekly events

Likes

日本酒 -nihonshu-

I'm a big fan of Nihonshu.

Nihonshu is widely known as Japan's national drink.

Why do I love it so much?There are three reasons for that.

First of all, Nihonshu tastes surprisingly different from bottle to bottle.

Nihonshu is divided into more than 10 categories depending on its making process and raw materials.

Also, there are about 1,400 酒蔵 -sakagura-, Nihonshu brewries in Japan and each one of them brew Nihonshu with their own styles.

So, there are tons of 日本酒 out there.

It's a lot of fun to try as many bottles of 日本酒 as possible and find your favorite kinds of日本酒.

Second, Nihonshu goes very well with food.

It is said that Nihonshu is food-friendly beverage.

It pairs amazingly well with not only Japanese food but also any kinds of food.

Once you start having Nihonshu and food together, you can't leave the table.

Lastly, Nihonshu is enjoyable at a wide range of temperatures.

Nihonshu changes its face depending on what temperatures you drink at.

Generally, premium Nihonshu like Daiginjo and Ginjo is served chilled, not warmed.

But it doesn't mean you can't warm high grade Nihonshu. Each Nihonshu has its best temperatures and you'll never know until you try it.

Those are the reasons why I love Nihonshu.

If you have never had Nihonshu before, I highly recommend try it out!  

Basketball

In my free time, I like to play freestyle basketball.

Have you ever heard of it?

Freestyle basketball is different from normal basketball. It's like doing performance on the stage with basketball.

Ballers compete with each other by showing their ball-handking skills and creative tricks. 

Literally, you can do anything as long as you include a ball in your performance.Some are skilled at dribbling.

Some are crazy about spinning. And some use multiple balls.

Some even put dancing moves and acrobatic moves in their routines. 

In freestyle basketball, it's free and there's no rule.

That's why I love this sport. 

English

English was my favorite subject back in my school days.

I was so much into American culture back then like NBA, English songs, movies and TV dramas.

These interests naturally grew my passion towards English and encouraged me to study harder than any other subject.

Since then, I have been learning English and I’m positive I’ll continue working on it for the rest of my life.

What makes me so passionate about English? There’s one thing that comes to mind immediately when I think about this question, which is..... 

“English opens up lots of possibilities.”

Before restarting English and taking it seriously at the age of thirty, what I thought I could do was very limited. 

It was so dark and I felt like my life was going nowhere.

However, things completely changed after gaining English skills.

English gave me an opportunity to work at sakagura, Nihonshu brewery.

English motivated me to teach English and having had the teaching experience challenged myself to become a Japanese teacher as well.

And most importantly, English inspired me to do something that helps out people abroad have a better understanding of Nihonshu. 

Looking back on it, I could have never imagined doing any of those without English.

English has given me a lot of inspiration and will keep doing so for the rest of my life as long as I keep working on it.

This is why I like English and put my passion towards it.

So far

Setbacks

I was born and raised in a small city, called Himeji in Hyogo prefecture in Japan.

I spent my whole school days in the city. As a kid, I was pretty active.

I’d often go outside and enjoy playing sports with my friends. 

I was especially into baseball and basketball.  I studied hard as well.

I made it to a college without any trouble.

After graduation, I earned my first job.

Everything went smoothly up until that time.

As I started working as a door-to-door sales rep in the education industry, I found that things would never be the same.

I couldn’t adjust myself to the new environment and ended up quitting.

After that, I realized that it was not something I really wanted to do and thought to myself,

“ I’m going to do what I really want to do from now on.”

and I decided to challenge myself to become a pro freestyle basketballer.

Basketball

In my 20s, I put in a lot of time and effort in basketball to realize my dream.

While chasing the dream, I was working at a pizza shop and a bento (lunch box) store to make a living.

After working the night shift, I went to a park near Himeji castle every day and practiced till I got drenched in sweat.

I really enjoyed doing what I love.

But, I found that it was tough to bring myself to a pro level.

And as the time went by, I started thinking this way,

“Okay, maybe it’s not for me... I love basketball but it's not something I can do for a living. I did all I could, so I have no regrets. I need to find something else I can be as passionate about as I’m about basketball to live my life.”

Before I turned 30, I decided to move on to the next chapter.

English

When I was 29 years old, I changed direction and decided to take English seriously to get some English-related jobs because English was the only thing I had always been interested in aside from basketball.

But, my English back then was not good enough to get a job.

So, I took a break from working at those 2 stores and took an intensive English program to study hard for two years.

It was tough but I loved it.

I thought I found my passion after basketball.

After the program, the passion led me to becoming an English teacher and teaching 300 students for six years.

I liked being a teacher and the experience motivated me to teach Japanese to people from abroad.

I had a 5-year-experience of teaching Japanese to 500 students from more than 10 countries.

Dive into sake world

While doing those 2 language-related jobs, I also worked at a local sake brewery for 6 years. (The brewery was looking for somebody capable of English.) 

Interstingly enough, I didn't know anything about sake up until seven years ago, when I started at a locl sake brewery. 

Because my role there was to explain about sake and give a short tour within the brewery, I had no choice but to study sake.

As I read some sake books and watched videos, I was getting interested in sake little by little. 

Also, one bottle of sake I happened to drink on New Year's day had a huge impact on my relationship with sake. 

Thanks to the bottle of sake, I came to appreciate sake even more and started working on it even more passionately.

I still vividly remember the day like yesterday. 

A new step

At the very beginning of 2019, I met a woman who was working a freelance teacher and tour guide.

It was the first time getting to know someone like her, which was really inspiring to me.

As I got to know her, I came to think this way,


"I want to do something by myself too just like her.

It didn't take long until I decided to combine my passion, sake and English, and create my own sake tour and workshop designed for people visiting Japan.

However, I thought I felt like I was still not ready becasue my knowledgable about sake was not good enough to make that happen.

In order to have a better understanding of the beverage, I joined events, attended seminars and participated experience programs.

This is how I earned myself several sake certificates and it gave me confidence to finally start doing my own sake tour and workshop.

A couple from the Netherlands



In fall of 2019, I met a guy from the Netherlands.

I found that he loved sake and we hit it off pretty quickly. The next day, we went to a sake bar that has more than 300 selections of sake to choose from.

He looked so excited about having those many choices of sake.

We tasted more than 10 different styles of sake that night.

I still vividly remember him looking so happy every time he had each sip of the sake.

Thanks to the Internet, we still keep in touch with each other and talk about anything like, how things are going, family stuff, jobs, and of course sake too. 

He often tells me how much he loves to visit Japan and enjoy sake again like we did at the cool bar in Himeji.

One time, when we had a chat online, he said,

“I haven’t opened the bottle that I bought in Himeji. I keep it for a special occasion.”

I was like in my mind, 

“What? It’s been a month already since you left and you love sake so much.

You still keep it ? Why??”

He told me, 

“Sake is really difficult to get in the Netherlands. Compared to Japan, there are a lot fewer selections of sake to choose from and sake is much more expensive here.”

After having this conversation, the outbreak of COVID19 hit the whole world. 

Because the disease went so viral, the prospect of his making a trip to Japan remained unclear and this ongoing situation was likely to continue for a while... 

My sake tour and workshop also stopped

This has disappointed him badly because he thinks not being able to visit Japan means he will have to put up with a situation where he drinks only limited brands of sake that are available at supermarkets or liquor stores around his place.

I felt really sorry for him because I know how much he loves sake. 

Up until then, sake was more like for myself. 

However, knowing the fact that it's difficult for him to enjoy sake back in his country inspired me to do somethig for people like him. 

Also, I’ve come to think that there must be a lot of people like him, who want to drink sake but almost give up doing it thinking that there’s nothing they can do about it for now.

This motivated me to challenge myself to write my first original book to make their sake-lives at home better.

After the book, I kept thinking about what I could do for someone like him, those who are intersted in sake.

It was challenging but, at the same time it was a lot of fun to keep figuring out a way to make difference.  

Before I knew it, sake also became my passion just like basketball and English.

Finally!

After 2023 started, the COVID situation started to get better and better.

By the time summer arrived, it felt like everything got back to normal again, which led me to restarting my sake activities for the first time in four years!

Since then, I've got to know quite a lot of tourists from overseas through my sake tours.

Why am I doing this?

Sake is such a wonderful beverage that represents my home country, Japan and I hope to keep spreading the popularity as much as possible.

However, beyond that, what I really apericiate about sake is connecions.

Thanks to the national drink, I've been able to interact with lots of people around the world.

By mingling with my guests, I always feel like exploring their countries and cultures.

For now, it's about myself and my guests.

However, in the future, I want to create more interactions.

I want to be a bridge between people from overseas and Japanese through this wonderful traditional beverage.

Vision

Building a Community of
Shared Passion and Enthusiasm

 
My vision is:

“To create a community where English guides can come together, inspire each other, and grow collectively.”

To realize this vision, I am focusing on the following three activities:

1. Supporting Beginners to Become English Guides

Through a three-year personalized learning program, I help beginners build a solid foundation in English, develop practical skills, and acquire the confidence to debut as English guides.
By supporting this process, I aim to increase the number of active English guide companions.

2. Improving My Own English Guide Skills

While I have focused on Japanese sake in the past, I am now striving to deepen my knowledge of Japan and Japanese culture.
My goal is to expand my expertise and become capable of guiding in areas beyond sake.
By demonstrating my own growth and success as an English guide, I hope to provide my students with a tangible example of their potential future and inspire them to pursue their goals.

3. Expanding an International Exchange Community

I am working to create a space where Japanese and international participants can interact and connect.
This initiative aims to provide my current students with more opportunities to use real-world English, meet others who share similar passions, and lay the foundation for a future English guide community.

Three Main Sake Experiences

❶Sake -Kanji- Hopping Tour in Himeji

実際のスライダーの動きは、プレビュー/公開ページでご確認ください

実際のスライダーの動きは、プレビュー/公開ページでご確認ください

＊Discover Sake and Kanji: A Unique Cultural Experience



Join me for an unforgettable tour that blends sake tasting with kanji writing. Explore Himeji’s finest sake and learn to write sake-related kanji and your own name!



＊What to Expect



・Guided Sake Hopping


Visit three top sake spots in Himeji, each offering a unique sake selection and insights into production, grades, flavor profiles and cultural significance of sake.


・Kanji Writing


Practice writing sake-related kanji and write your name in kanji during the tour. Take home your beautifully written kanji as a souvenir.


・Variety of Sake


Enjoy diverse sake styles and deepen your knowledge.


・Delicious Pairings


Savor local food paired with your sake at each stop.



＊Tour Schedule



・Daytime Tour: 1pm - 5pm

・Night Tour: 6pm - 10pm



We’ll start at a standing bar run by a local brewery for a kanpai with a selected aperitif sake.

At the second bar, practice kanji and enjoy various sake styles.

We’ll finish at a local izakaya, where you’ll continue kanji practice and taste more sake with delicious food.
Use your new skills to confidently choose and order sake in Japanese!



＊Other Things to Note



・Food and drinks are not included

・Tasting locations may vary



＊Additionally, I can offer personalized tours of Himeji Castle and sake brewery visits in the Nada region for an extra fee. Feel free to ask about these options when booking.

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❷One-Day Sake Brewery Tour in Nadagogo

実際のスライダーの動きは、プレビュー/公開ページでご確認ください

実際のスライダーの動きは、プレビュー/公開ページでご確認ください

Explore the Best of Nadagogo Sake – Mikage and Uozaki Edition



Looking for an unforgettable sake experience in Kobe?

This one-day tour invites you to explore Japan’s most renowned sake brewing region, where history, craftsmanship, and flavor come together.

Step into Nadagogo, a legendary area where the spirit of sake has been passed down for generations.



＊What is Nadagogo?



Nadagogo, meaning “The Five Villages of Nada,” is Japan’s most famous sake-producing region, located between Kobe and Nishinomiya in Hyogo Prefecture.

With centuries of history, ideal climate conditions, and access to mineral-rich water (Miyamizu), this region produces over 30% of Japan’s sake.

The five areas—Mikage-go, Uozaki-go, Nishinomiya-go, Imazu-go, and Nishigo—each have their own strengths.

Among them, Mikage and Uozaki stand out as the most accessible, diverse, and visitor-friendly areas.

Here, you’ll find a perfect balance of history, craftsmanship, and hospitality—all within walking distance.


＊Why Choose This Tour?


This one-day guided tour takes you through the heart of Mikage-go and Uozaki-go, where some of Japan’s most iconic breweries are located.

Unlike larger commercial tours, this experience is designed for curious travelers who want to:


・Dive deeper into sake culture Taste a wide range of premium sake

・Learn how sake is crafted from rice to bottle

・Walk through historical brewery streets

・Discover stories behind each brand

・Enjoy personalized guidance and hospitality


＊Tour Highlights



・Visit 5 renowned breweries, including the largest producer in Japan and a brand with 500 years of history

・Join two exclusive guided tours inside working breweries

・Taste diverse sake styles including ginjo, daiginjo, nama genshu, and taruzake

・Enjoy a local lunch set at a brewery restaurant

・Learn sake basics: brewing methods, tasting techniques, pairing tips

・Receive unique sake-related gifts and a personalized keepsake booklet

・Walk through Sakagura-dori, a charming street lined with historic brewery buildings

・Full English support from a passionate local guide


＊Tour Details



・Start time: 9:40 AM

・Meeting point: Hanshin Uozaki Station

・Duration: 6.5–7 hours

・Language: English

・Group size: Private or small group

・Price: ￥25,000 / person


＊This Tour is Perfect For:


・First-time visitors looking for a deep yet relaxed cultural experience

・Couples or friends seeking a memorable and meaningful activity in Kobe

・Sake lovers who want to understand the craft behind the flavor

・Travelers interested in exploring hidden gems with a personal touch



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❸Customized Sake Tour

実際のスライダーの動きは、プレビュー/公開ページでご確認ください

Are you looking for a unique sake experience that perfectly matches your preferences and interests?

Based in Himeji, Hyogo, I offer fully customized sake tours designed to suit your needs, whether you’re a first-time sake enthusiast or a seasoned connoisseur.

From exploring local breweries and learning about the rich history and culture of sake to enjoying exclusive tastings in a specific region, I’ll craft a personalized itinerary to ensure a memorable and engaging experience.


Regions Covered


Let me craft a sake experience tailored to your preferences in any of these remarkable regions!

・Hyogo: Known for Nada, Japan's largest sake-producing region, and its premium sake.

・Osaka: A hub of vibrant nightlife and modern sake bars.

・Kyoto: Famous for its traditional sake and historical breweries.

・Nara: The birthplace of Japanese sake.

・Shiga: Stunning scenery paired with exquisite sake.

・Wakayama: Unique sake brewed with local fruits and pristine water from the mountains.

・Okayama: Home of Omachi rice, the heart of sake brewing.


Pricing


The cost varies depending on the itinerary, with a guideline of around ¥30,000 per person for a full-day tour.


How to Book


Click the button below and fill out an application form for your customized tour.
 

Notice


To allow sufficient time for research and preparation, please make your reservation at least three weeks in advance.

Let’s work together to create a one-of-a-kind sake experience tailored just for you!
Feel free to contact me for more details or to start planning your customized tour.
 
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Bonus

A free sake book

Each experience above mentioned comes with a sake book I created!
As the title says, the concept of the book is to tell you how to enjoy sake in a lot of ways even if you have limited selections of sake out there in your place. 
With 5 points from this book and your creativities, I believe that you will enjoy sake more than before and your everyday lives will become even more fruitful. 

Reviews

Korea

I was lucky enough to come across a chance to experience Kazu-san's sake tour, which is one of the must-do activities when visiting Himeji city.

Learning how to read kanji and brew sake in Japan is truly a unique opportunity.

Kazu-san's tour is broken down into three steps, allowing for visits to casual and fancy local standing sake pubs, as well as an izakaya with local Himeji food, which was the highlight of the tour in the Kansai area!

For not only sake lovers but also those who would like to explore the west side of Kansai, I can guarantee this tour works for you!

Spain

It’s been a really amazing experience 🍸🥂

I thought I didn’t really like Sake because I always tried it at casual restaurants ( typical Sake) and didn’tryl the different tastes and qualities that there are available.

It was great to realise that I really like Sake!!🥳

On top of that he’s really good at explaining all the makes and different types of Sakes with good explanations and the meaning of Kanjis and preparation of Sake…

I wanted it to last longer and go for a few more🥂.

I will definitely do it again if I come back to Himeji.

Thank you very much for the experience.

America

A great tour and experience to learn all about Sake!

Kazu is extremely knowledgeable about Sake and is genuinely excited to share this knowledge with you.

While Sake is not my favorite drink, I still thoroughly enjoyed this tour for 2 main reasons.

One: I was able to learn a lot about Sake and gain a much greater appreciation for it - the different types, quality, tastes and how they are made. Extremely fascinating!

Second: Kazu is an amazing person whose passion for Sake is something you can't help but be excited about as well!

Don't miss out on this opportunity to have a local guide give you insight to this part of Japan that would otherwise be quite difficult.

Well worth it!

Germany

This tour was so much fun, definitely one of the highlights of my Japan trip!

I hadn’t really known what to expect because I had never drunk Sake before but Kazu-san explained everything as we went.

The tour is for one or two people, I got to enjoy it alone, which made for great conversation.

I felt very comfortable even though I was a woman travelling alone and we spent a great evening bar hopping and learning some Japanese.

You should eat well before though ;)

Would recommend this to everyone who spends a night in Himeji!

America

An excellent tour of not only the local sake and cuisine of Himeji and Hyogo but Kazu does an excellent job of making you feel welcome in his hometown.

Whether it’s your first time trying sake or it’s your drink of choice, this is an excellent experience you won’t regret.

I’ve drank more than my fair share of sake and not only learned a lot but was also able to try many sakes I otherwise would have missed had I tried to explore Himeji alone.

the Netherlands

This tour was an absolute delight!

Kazu-san took us sake bar hopping in Himeji after we had visited some sake breweries in the Nada region near Kobe (also with Kazu-san!).

I am quite fond of sake and have been learning about for a few years, but my wife is pretty new to it.

We both got a lot out of the tour in our own ways: it’s a great introduction to sake but also a great way of deepening one’s knowledge.

Kazu-san was really friendly and welcoming, and very happy to share his deep expertise of the sake brewing process, different styles and regions, its history and so on.

His enthusiasm for sake is infectious, and he was very good at conveying the mastery that goes into brewing, and how intertwined it is with Japanese culture.

This day and evening was genuinely one of the highlights of our Japan trip and I cannot recommend it enough!

America / Hong Kong

I usually prefer leisurely traveling to immerse myself in the local culture.

Kazu-san’s tour was beyond my expectations!
With his extensive experience of sake making and tasting, he thoroughly prepared a 171 page PowerPoint, even though I was the only participant on the tour!

It was more than just sake tasting and learning about the different types of sakes.
Through sake drinking, I got to learn more about the Japanese customs (I.e., overfilling to show generosity), etiquette when ordering food and drink, and everyday phrases when roaming around Japan. He also regularly checks in to see how I felt about having more drinks.

He speaks very good English for a self-learner!
You can tell that he is a dedicated learner by making quick journal entries on his phone through our conversations and setting English as the default language on his phone.

I was asking quite a lot of questions, all of which he elaborately explained so well. He really is passionate about sake that he wants to spread it with others from all around the world!

France

I had a memorable experience discovering sake in Himeji!

Kazuaki is a real expert and taught me to appreciate the intricacies of this traditional Japanese drink by introducing me to different types of sake and explaining how to taste them properly.

Kazuaki was friendly and professional, creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. He answered all my questions with patience and enthusiasm, and was able to adapt his speech to my level of knowledge.

This experience was for me an immersion in Japanese culture, an opportunity to learn and understand the importance of sake in Japanese society.

If you are in Himeji, I highly recommend that you have this unique and rewarding experience with Kazuaki as your guide!

America

This sake tour was one of my highlights for this trip to Japan!

Kazu was so kind to open up a tour on a day that originally wasn’t open since I was only in Himeji for one day.

I felt a lot more confident about picking sake out from a menu, and I got to try some izakaya food local to Himeji.

Kazu was really easy to talk to, and he had a lot of knowledge about the sake making process. Definitely recommend if you are in Himeji!

America

What a great sake tasting experience!

We went to some really interesting small sake bars, drank a lot of delicious sake, and I learned about the variety in styles of sake and enjoyed some very tasty snacks.

I only wish that such great sake was available in the United States….

I guess I will have to come back to Himeji and take this tour again (after I do my homework and learn to write my name in kanji!)

America

Having been in the sake business for 25+ years, it’s not often I learn new things or experience something unique.

But Kazuaki delivered! So thoughtful, knowledgeable, and thorough.

Impeccable English to boot.

What a phenomenal experience!!

Denmark

UK

We had a terrific day with Kazu-San.

Learned a ton about sake, had a fantastic lunch, great conversation.

We highly recommend his tour to anyone who is keen to learn more about sake.

Thank you Kazu-San!