Awamori Masahiro Gallery
泡盛まさひろギャラリーFood tour
Awamori Masahiro Gallery in Nishizaki, Itoman, about 15 minutes by car from Naha Airport, shows how Masahiro Shuzo makes awamori and pours tastings daily 9:00–17:00, with a ¥1,100 label-making session and a mini bottle for visitors who book ahead.
The son of a head cook to the Ryukyu court founded Masahiro Shuzo in Shuri in 1883, and the company now distils in Itoman. The gallery walks you through the history and the kinds of awamori with displays and video, past a collection that includes 50-year-old vintages and post-war bottles made from recycled beer bottles, then lets you look into the working factory. At the tasting counter the staff pour awamori, gin, liqueurs and moromi vinegar and explain how they differ.
Reserve before you go and you get a 50 ml mini bottle on arrival. Drivers taste the vinegar, since drinking and driving is illegal in Japan. The blending class, where you mix two bottles to open five and ten years later, is on hold for lack of staff, so ask before you plan around it.
What they offer
| Offering | From | Duration | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distillery gallery visit with factory viewing and awamori tastingOpen 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30. The gallery gives a 50 ml mini bottle to visitors who reserve ahead. Drivers and under-20s taste moromi vinegar instead. | – | About 1 hr | Year-round except the New Year closure (30 December to 4 January in 2025–26) |
| Distillery tour package with a 720 ml bottle of five-year kusu (OneTwoSmile)Sold on OneTwoSmile in October 2026; the price includes the bottle of 'Shurijo Seiden' five-year aged awamori and a free mini bottle. | ¥1,760 / adult (20+) | About 1 hr | Year-round |
| Label-making for a mini bottleUp to five people. Not bookable 27–29 December and 4–5 January. | ¥1,100 / person | About 30 min | Year-round, 13:00 start |
| Awamori blending experience (two 360 ml bottles)Bookings stopped because of staff shortages, with no restart date when we checked in October 2026. | ¥3,300 / person | About 1 hr | Suspended |
FAQ
Quick answers about Awamori Masahiro Galleryよくある質問
Can you tour an awamori distillery near Naha Airport?
Yes. Awamori Masahiro Gallery in Itoman, about 15 minutes by car from Naha Airport, opens daily 9:00–17:00 with a view into the factory and a tasting counter. It closes only over the New Year.
Is the Masahiro awamori blending experience available?
No. Awamori Masahiro Gallery suspended its ¥3,300 blending experience because of staff shortages and has not set a restart date. The ¥1,100 label-making session still runs.
How much does Awamori Masahiro Gallery charge?
Awamori Masahiro Gallery lists Label-making for a mini bottle from ¥1,100 per person (About 30 min).
Does Awamori Masahiro Gallery speak English?
Awamori Masahiro Gallery works in Japanese.
Is Awamori Masahiro Gallery open in winter?
Awamori Masahiro Gallery: The gallery stays open through winter apart from its New Year break, and the tour runs indoors, and the director pitches it as a stop that works in the rain. It posts closures for typhoons and strong wind on Facebook.