Dotted with some of Japan’s leading sake breweries, Kurume stands alongside Nada in Kobe and Fushimi in Kyoto as one of the country’s three major sake producing areas.

First on the list of Kurume breweries is the oldest sake producer in the Chikugo region, boasting a history going back to its founding over 300 years ago. Each brewery produces famous sakes full of the personality that only handcrafted brews can express. Every February, the sake warehouses are opened for the first sale of the year. Called “Kurabiraki”, this is the largest event of its kind in Kyushu, attracting a lot of visitors who come to savor new and limited editions of sake.