Architecture & Sake Museum of Kobe

Gain an appreciation for the craftsmanship behind some of Kobe’s finest architecture and for the production of sake by browsing two unusual museums. While walking through the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum, the only venue of its kind in Japan, you will see large-scale models of temples and tearooms and the rare hand tools used to construct them. The museum building is as remarkable as the collection inside as master craftsmen built it using traditional techniques and materials such as juraku clay and Ibushi-smoked roof tiles. The Kiku-Masamune Sake Museum is devoted to the finer points of Japan’s revered rice wine, the country’s most iconic drink, whose origins predate recorded history. Besides gaining an understanding of how Kiku-Masamune sake is processed, you will sample several varieties of this beloved brand of sake. As you will discover, it is an authentic dry sake free of lingering aftertastes so it doesn’t affect the flavor of any dishes paired with it.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Browse the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum, the only one of its kind in Japan.
• See how Kiku-Masamune sake is produced and sample this dry rice wine.
• Appreciate the craftsmanship behind Japanese carpentry and sake production.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.