A City Tour Featuring the Kamisuwa Hot Springs and a Sake Brewery

A City Tour Featuring the Kamisuwa Hot Springs and a Sake Brewery - Example Tour of Suwa

Suwa is a historic city dotted throughout with historical sites dating from the time when the lords of the Suwa Domain occupied Takashima Castle. Today, one can still get a sense of what the old castle town was like, but at the same time, new attractive tourist destinations are opening one after the other.
Meanwhile, the Suwa region is also well known for its natural spring waters, helping Sake and Miso production to prosper here, and there is growing attention on the many excellent breweries concentrated in the area.
Given the presence of many hot spring inns as well, this example tour offers you an opportunity enjoy the many appeals of Suwa on a relaxed course while enjoying the delicious Suwa sake.

Highlights

Take a tour of five different sake breweries to find your favorite taste.
Enjoy the rustic allure of a traditional castle town.
Refresh your mind and body at the Kamisuwa Hot Springs, featuring one of the largest spring sources in Japan.

itinerary

Day 1 - ReBuilding Center Japan
- Taiyo Bakery
- Marutaka Gura (Miso factory)　
- Takashima Castle

Day 2 - "Suwako Yuransen (pleasure boats) "
- Clasuwa (restaurant, shop)
- Tateishi Park
- Suwa 5 Kura (five breweries in Suwa)

JR Kamisuwa Station

10 minutes walk

ReBuilding Center Japan

The ReBuilding Center Japan (known colloquially as Ribisen in Japanese) is a facility that features a cafe and shop that offers antique wood, furniture, and tools for sale.
The staff at Ribisen “rescue” old wood and other materials from worksites where old buildings have been dismantled and then makes them available to their customers.
The first floor is occupied by the cafe and the storefront selling used materials, while the second and third floors are literally crammed with antique implements and furniture, such as chairs and tables.
Why not search for that unique item found nowhere else as you touch and feel the items used by the locals of times past.

Lunch - Taiyo Bakery -

Founded in 1916, this bakery produces their bread with unwavering attention to detail in materials and methods using underground spring water from the Kirigamine Plateau.
Their time honored baking methods have been passed down generation to generation without change
Popular items on their menu include the Saba Sandwich, a sandwich of mackerel and vegetables, as well as bread to accompany meals, such as their breakfast baguettes
There is also a seating area so you can dine on your purchases on the spot
Also take a look at the recently renovated interior handled by the ReBuilding Center Japan in 2020.

Marutaka Gura (Miso factory)

This traditional Japanese home is a sight to behold, dating from over 100 years ago when this miso factory was moved from its former location during the Taisho Period. The shop interior is filled with the aroma of Miso, the traditional Japanese bean paste, and also features a sunken hearth for a relaxing atmosphere to spend time in.
In addition to their miso, Marutaka Gura also offers Japanese pickles and sweets made with that miso.
Finally, there is also a selection of the best traditional soy sauces and local rice available, produced by a natural environment in Suwa suitable for brewing and carefully selected by the manager.

Takashima Castle

Takashima Castle was built by a vassal of famed warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The castle was once also known as Suwa no Ukishiro, or the Floating Castle of Suwa, because it seemed to float over the waters of Lake Suwa which surrounded it. Takashima Park, the site where the main citadel was located, is an appealing destination in its own right with the beauty of the changing seasons, including cherry blossoms in spring, wisteria in early summer, and snow covered grounds in winter.
The castle tower, which features an observation corner and an exhibit corner featuring the history of the castle, is also accessible to visitors.

Lodging

For accommodations, we recommend one of the many hot spring inns that align the shores of Lake Suwa, where you can enjoy the hospitality of the bountiful nature of the area, surrounded by mountains and enriched by natural spring waters.

Suwako Yuransen (pleasure boats)

Begin your day with a short 25 minute trip via pleasure boat on Lake Suwa. You will depart the pier and pass by Hatsushima island and the Shimosuwa pier, then travel towards Okaya before returning to where you started. The two large types of boats that travel the route are the Swan, that makes a beautiful picture as it floats around the lake like its namesake, and the Suwako Starmine that offers you an unhindered, 360 degree panoramic view of the scenery from its deck. With plenty of seating available, the boats are popular for cruising not only with small groups but large tour groups as well.

Lunch - Clasuwa (restaurant, shop)

The second floor of Clasuwa features a restaurant offering a view of Lake Suwa as you dine on delicious food created with local ingredients from the Shinshu region in a stylish space.
The shop on the first floor offers a collection of delicious Shinshu foods, healthy foods, and items that will enrich your daily life, and is popular not only with tourists visiting Lake Suwa, but also worshipers on their way from the lower to upper shrines of Suwa Taisha.

15 minutes by taxi

Tateishi Park

Make sure not to skip this ideal location for looking out over Lake Suwa. This highland park presents you with views of the town and Lake Suwa right below you, and you can even see the far off Northern Alps on a sunny day, views which bring countless tourists from inside and outside the prefecture.
Many have started coming here in recent years due to the rumor that it was used as inspiration for one of the locations in a popular Anime cartoon, making it a bit of a holy pilgrimage for fans.

Suwa 5 Kura (five breweries in Suwa)

The Sake brewed in the Suwa area is considered some of the best in Japan. The secret behind that quality is the underground spring water of the Kirigamine Plateau, the pure air, and cold climate of the region.
With names like Maihime, Reijin, Honkin, Yokobue, and Masumi, no less than five sake breweries align a space of just 500 meters along the Koshu Kaido highway in Suwa.
Before stepping out on your tour of these five breweries, we recommend you buy the so-called Gokuraku Set that includes a pouch, a glass, and a stamp card.
Those who collect the stamps at all five breweries can apply to receive a special gift.
The set is available at the five breweries and at the Suwa Tourist Information Center in front of the station, so pick one up before you compare the breweries to choose your favorite. (An app version of the stamp card is also available.)

* Depending on the infection status of the new corona, tasting may not be performed at each warehouse. In that case, each brewery will give you one cup of sake instead. The contents may change depending on the situation in the future, so please check the information on the Suwa Gokura website when planning a tour of Gokura.

JR Kamisuwa Station

Seasonal highlights

Fireworks at Lake Suwa

Fireworks are a time honored summer tradition in Japan, and immense crowds are attracted to the fireworks festivals held throughout the country to fill their hearts with the beauty of a summer night while eating and drinking at the many food stalls.
Among the many festivals held during the season, the Suwa Lake Fireworks Festival, in which the fireworks are launched over the lake waters, is one of the largest in Japan in terms of both scale and number of fireworks launched.
There is also a period from late July through late August where a smaller festival is held nightly, called the Lake Suwa Summer Night Fireworks. Gorgeous fireworks are launched every night for a period of 15 minutes, and you can enjoy them from the grassy lake shore or from your accommodations.
Finally, in early September, skilled pyrotechnicians from around the country gather for the National New FIreworks Competition to pit their newest creations, featuring unique, revolutionary ideas, technique, and artistry, against each other.