Photo/Illutration Mayor Shintaro Maeda, right, tastes four different varieties of sake to find the right blend ratio at Shimonoseki Shuzo Co. in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on Jan. 13. (Michio Mizuta)

SHIMONOSEKI, Yamaguchi Prefecture--A long-established sake brewery here is offering a tourism package that allows visitors to create blends that are “one-of-a-kind in the world.”

Shimonoseki Shuzo Co. aims to attract visitors from home and abroad with the tourism initiative.

Participants are given a tour of the brewery and a lecture on the sake business.

Takanori Uchida, 34, managing director at the brewery and a sake sommelier, serves as a guide for the sake-making session offered for a fee of 5,000 yen ($37), including tax.

Participants are encouraged to taste four different types of sake--dry, sweet, rich and fruity--brewed at the company.

Uchida helps them find the right blend ratio to suit their preferences.

They receive the blended sake in 720- and 300-milliliter bottles with labels showing their names, the sommelier’s name, and the bottled date.

The company keeps data on their blending ratios in case they want to order additional bottles.

Shimonoseki Shuzo marks its 100th anniversary this year.

“I’ve always thought it would be great to offer blended sake ever since I joined this company,” Uchida said. “I want to promote the charms of Japanese sake.”

The company has also joined hands with restaurants and other local businesses to offer a package for tourists to enjoy blowfish and other local specialties.

“I think inbound tourists visiting Shimonoseki will also be interested in making their one-of-a-kind sake,” Mayor Shintaro Maeda said at a ceremony on Jan. 13 to announce the brewery's tourism efforts.

For more information, visit the official website at (https://www.sekimusume.co.jp/page/blend).

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