Suigei Tosa-gura

Of Koch Prefecture's 18 sake breweries, Suigei is perhaps the most easily recognizable, thanks to its distinctive branding which features whale motifs. The name Suigei means “drunken whale” which was how the 19th century lord of Tosa (as Kochi Prefecture used to be known) Yodo Yamauchi, who well known for his love of sake, described himself.

While Suigei’s roots are at its Nagahama-gura, located near scenic Katsurahama Beach, the brewery opened Tosa-gura, a state of the art brewing facility with an attached shop in Tosa City in 2018.

The Tosa-gura facility produces primarily premium junmai daiginjyo sake, including Suigei’s luxury line. The high-tech facility enables a high level of control over the production process in a regional climate that has long presented challenges to sake brewers. With an advance reservation, visitors can see how this modern facility compares with more traditional breweries they may have toured in the past. The tours are only ¥500 per person and include a sake tasting at the end of the tour.

The design of Tosa-gura is as stylish as the brewery is high-tech, and the attached Suigei Store and Sake Lab Cafe should not be missed. As well as sweet treats made with sake lees, non-alcoholic amazake drinks are available for those who are driving or don’t partake of sake. Others might like to take advantage of the opportunity to sample Suigei’s premium offerings and other limited edition sakes not available anywhere else. Bottled sake and Suigei merchandise make wonderful souvenirs and are also available for purchase.