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Sanyo Shinkansen Guide · Higashi-Hiroshima Station
Best Hotels Near Higashi-Hiroshima Station: Saijo, One of Japan’s
Great Sake-Brewing Towns
A Kodama Stop · The Saijo Sake District · Brewery Chimneys, White Walls & a Famous Autumn Festival
🚄 Shin-Osaka ~1 hr 30 min · Hiroshima ~10 min — Kodama (and some Hikari)
🍶 Saijo — one of Japan’s three great sake-brewing towns
🏭 A walkable street of historic breweries and red-brick chimneys
🍺 The huge Saijo Sake Matsuri each October
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What Kind of Area is Higashi-Hiroshima? A Local’s Honest Take
Higashi-Hiroshima’s shinkansen station serves Saijo, which sake lovers know as one of the three great sake-brewing towns of Japan, alongside Nada (Kobe) and Fushimi (Kyoto). The clear water and cool climate of this upland basin proved ideal for brewing, and a compact district near Saijo Station still lines up half a dozen historic breweries — white-walled, with tall red-brick chimneys — within an easy walk, most offering tastings. Each October the town throws the Saijo Sake Matsuri, one of Japan’s biggest sake festivals.
An honest note on logistics: the shinkansen Higashi-Hiroshima station (Kodama, plus a few Hikari) is a little apart from the brewery district around Saijo Station; a short local train or taxi links them. For most, this is a special-interest day trip — wonderful if you love sake, quiet otherwise.
Walk the “Sakagura-dori” brewery street with a tasting cup: half a dozen makers sit within a few hundred metres, each pouring its own style, and many draw pure brewing water from wells you can sip at the roadside.
Getting Around from Higashi-Hiroshima
🚄 Shinkansen
Shin-Osaka ~1 hr 30 min · Hiroshima ~10 min · Fukuyama ~20 min — Kodama (and some Hikari). The fast trains pass through.
🚃 To the sake district
A short local train on the JR Sanyo main line (or a taxi) reaches Saijo Station, beside the brewery street.
🎓 Around town
The area is also home to Hiroshima University, giving it a lively student presence.
What to See Around Higashi-Hiroshima
🍶 Saijo Sake District
A walkable cluster of historic breweries with tastings, brewery shops and the distinctive chimneys and white walls of the trade.
🍺 Saijo Sake Matsuri
Held each October, this festival draws huge crowds to sample hundreds of sake from across Japan in one place.
🌾 Countryside & University Town
The surrounding basin offers gentle rural scenery and a youthful campus atmosphere between brewery visits.
Where Should You Actually Stay?
Accommodation is practical; many visit as a day trip from Hiroshima.
🏨 Station & Saijo hotels: Business hotels near the stations suit a sake-focused overnight, especially during the festival.
🍺 Festival stays: For the October matsuri, book far ahead — rooms across the area fill fast.
🏰 Hiroshima base: Hiroshima, 10 minutes on, is the easy choice with a quick day trip to the breweries.
Overall Rating: Higashi-Hiroshima Area
| Category | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shinkansen Access | ★★★☆☆ | Kodama/some Hikari, ~90 min to Shin-Osaka |
| Around the Station | ★★☆☆☆ | Station is apart from the sake district |
| Sake & Culture | ★★★★★ | One of Japan’s great brewing towns |
| Hotel Choice | ★★★☆☆ | Practical; scarce during the festival |
| Charm & Atmosphere | ★★★★☆ | Historic breweries and chimneys |
Who Should Stay Here?
✔ Sake lovers and brewery-tour travelers
✔ October Sake Matsuri visitors
✔ Anyone pairing a tasting day with Hiroshima
