Mirai Resort Co., Ltd., which operates the ryokan Shiki no Ori Hanaya in the Hirugami Onsen area of Achi Village, Nagano Prefecture, is opening a new experiential shop called Yagokoro Sake Bar Jizake no Yakata on July 11, 2026 (Saturday). The shop lets visitors taste Shinshu sake before choosing a bottle to take home, and is positioned as a new tourism destination for the area. Alcohol sales at the shop are handled by MGH Co., Ltd., an affiliated company holding the required liquor sales license.
The shop combines a souvenir corner selling Shinshu sake from breweries across Nagano Prefecture with a tasting counter and an outdoor trailer-house-style Sake Bar, offering visitors a new kind of souvenir experience: discovering a sake they enjoy, tasting it, and bringing a bottle home as a memento of the trip.
Achi Village's Hirugami Onsen is one of Nagano's leading tourist destinations, known as home to "Japan's best starry sky." According to figures published by the village, the area drew roughly 1.01 million visitors in fiscal 2023. At the same time, there has been relatively little for visitors to do in the hours between checking in and heading out to view the stars, or while wandering the onsen town after stargazing.
Yagokoro Sake Bar Jizake no Yakata is intended to turn that in-between time into part of the area's appeal, giving visitors a new reason to explore the neighborhood. Through sake sales, tastings, and the outdoor Sake Bar, the shop aims to connect visitors with local breweries while raising the overall value of a stay in Hirugami Onsen and encouraging more foot traffic around the onsen town.
Taste, Choose, and Take Home Shinshu Sake
Rather than functioning as a typical sake bar, Yagokoro Sake Bar Jizake no Yakata operates as a souvenir shop selling Shinshu sake from breweries throughout Nagano Prefecture. Visitors can sample a bottle that catches their eye on the spot before deciding which one to buy.
At opening, the shop will carry around 20 varieties of Shinshu sake, with plans to expand the selection to as many as 40 over time. The lineup is set to include Yonezawa Shuzo's Imanishiki, the locally brewed Kikusui from nearby Iida, the popular Daishinshu brand, and other labels such as Nanawarai, Masumi, and Yoake Mae.
At the tasting counter, glasses start from 250 yen, making it easy for both sake beginners and enthusiasts to sample and choose a souvenir to their taste.
Creating New Connections Between Visitors and Local Breweries
Nagano Prefecture is home to a wide range of distinctive sake breweries, but there have been few places where visitors can compare and taste multiple labels in one spot before purchasing.
By gathering Shinshu sake from across the region under one roof, the shop creates a new point of contact between visitors and local breweries.
For visitors, it becomes a place to spend the time before stargazing while exploring the onsen town, with the chance to discover a favorite bottle along the way. For breweries, it offers a new opportunity for promotion and sales by introducing their labels to visitors coming to Hirugami Onsen.
Looking ahead, the operator is also considering tasting events with breweries from across the prefecture, visits from brewery owners, and pairing events with local ingredients, with the aim of growing Hirugami Onsen into a hub for sharing information about Shinshu sake.
An Onsen Town to Enjoy Before and After Stargazing
Achi Village's Hirugami Onsen draws visitors from across Japan who come specifically to view its "Japan's best starry sky." At the same time, the visitor experience has tended to center on lodging and stargazing itself, leaving relatively little to do in the hours after check-in or while exploring the onsen town after viewing the stars.
This renewal focuses on that in-between time. Sake tasting, souvenir shopping, and time spent at the outdoor Sake Bar are meant to give guests a natural reason to step outside their ryokan.
Through this effort, the operator hopes to offer ways to enjoy Hirugami Onsen that go beyond lodging and stargazing alone, raising the overall value of a stay and encouraging more visitors to explore the wider onsen town.
An Outdoor Trailer-House Sake Bar for Dropping By in a Yukata
An outdoor trailer-house-style Sake Bar has also been set up on the property.
The open-air space is designed so guests can drop in casually, even while still wearing a yukata, to enjoy Shinshu sake and gelato. Self-checkout has also been introduced to make the space easy for visitors to use.
The trailer house format was chosen so the space can be adapted flexibly to the season or to local events, functioning as a "variable tourism hub." In spring, during the flower-peach season, it serves as a rest stop; in summer, it operates as a base for sake and gelato sales as well as nighttime events. The operator plans to continue adjusting its use going forward for local events, markets, and collaborations with breweries, in line with tourism demand in Hirugami Onsen.
The space is open not only to guests of the ryokan but also to visitors staying at other nearby accommodations and to local residents, contributing to a livelier atmosphere across the onsen town as a whole.
Nighttime Operation and Events Planned During Obon
During the Obon period, from August 12 (Wednesday) to 16 (Sunday), the outdoor Sake Bar plans to extend its hours into the evening.
Alongside Shinshu sake sales and tastings, the shop plans to hold gelato sales and a bingo event during this period, aimed at families and visitors who do not drink sake.
The goal is to make the shop an easy, casual stop for a wide range of visitors exploring the onsen town.
Comment from Mirai Resort's Representative Director
Fumiya Suzuki, Representative Director of Mirai Resort Co., Ltd., shared the following comment:
I wanted guests visiting Hirugami Onsen to enjoy discovering Shinshu sake, alongside the stars and the hot springs. Through the experience of tasting and choosing, I hope guests can take home a memory of their trip, while giving local breweries a new point of contact with visitors — and I'd like to nurture that cycle from this spot, little by little.
I also hope that by giving guests a way to enjoy the onsen town during the time before stargazing, we can help bring more foot traffic and liveliness to Hirugami Onsen as a whole.
Working together with the local community, we intend to keep proposing ways to enjoy Hirugami Onsen that go beyond just staying overnight.
Facility Overview
Yagokoro Sake Bar Jizake no Yakata
Opening Date: July 11, 2026 (Saturday)
Address: 315-3 Chisato, Achi Village, Shimoina District, Nagano Prefecture
Offerings: Shinshu sake sales, tasting counter, outdoor Sake Bar, gelato sales
Selection: Approximately 20 varieties at opening (up to 40 planned)
Highlights: A shop where visitors can taste and choose sake, serving as a hub for sharing information about Shinshu sake
