Higashihiroshima (東広島) is a city in Hiroshima prefecture.

Higashihiroshima is a university town of Hiroshima University. Higashihiroshima is adjacent to Hiroshima, and so also forms a commuter town of Hiroshima.

There are many sake breweries in Saijo district, one of the towns in Japan famous for the production of sake.

Saijo is easy to get to from Hiroshima and would make an excellent day trip from there.

• JR Saijo Station. On the Sanyō Main Line, a 35 minute ride from Hiroshima. (updated May 2025)

Saijo is very easy to navigate on foot: it is quite flat, and all the major attractions are within 2 kilometers or so of one another.

The breweries of Sakaguri-dori feature particular architectural features. Their red brick chimneys, twelve in all, tower above the low classical buildings roofed in red akagawara tiles and featuring distinct black and white "namako" lattices on their walls. Sugidama, balls of Japanese cedar leaves, hang from the eaves of the sake breweries.

• Sakagura-dori Street (西条酒蔵通り) (Immediately south of the Saijo JR Station). A street of seven densely-clustered sake breweries, along with shops and cafes. The breweries offer tastings and bottles of their products for sale. The walk between the breweries describes a 20 or 30 minute loop on foot. (updated May 2025)

The breweries sell their sakes in the tasting rooms and often offer varieties that are not available anywhere else. There are also a number of liquor shops along Sakagura-dori.

The region of Saijo, noted for its sake breweries, features a couple of local specialties, themselves incorporating sake. Bishu-nabe is a hot pot prepared with sake, originally a brewer's dish served to brewery staff. Kome-kara is fried chicken whose batter contains sake and rice powder.

• Kuromboya (くろんぼ屋), 15-34 Saijo Honcho, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, ☏ +81 82-422-2916. 11:20-14:30 (Mon-Sun), 17:00-20:00 (Tue-Sun), closed 1st Mon, Tue of the Month. Yoshoku (Japanese style western cuisine), Hamburger steak, Tonkatsu (Pork cutlet). Accepts credit cards. ¥1,260yen for a beef cutlet plate. (updated May 2025)
• Kuradokoro Taru (蔵処 樽), 広島県東広島市西条栄町-7-48 (About a 5-minute walk due south from the exit of Saijo (Hiroshima) Station on the JR Sanyo Main Line), ☏ +81 82-430-7080. Tuesday-Sunday, National Holiday, Day before Public Holiday: 11:30-14:00 (Cooking LO 13:30 Drink LO 13:30) 17:00-23:00 (Cooking LO 22: 00 drink LO 22:00). An izakaya serving the local specialties of kome-kara and bishu-nabe. Sizable heated tents, indoor western-style seats, and tatami floor seats. Casual, pubbish atmosphere with many locals drinking great quantities. Accepts credit cards. ¥1980 for one portion of bishu-nabe. (updated May 2025)

There are, of course, the seven breweries on the Sakagura-dori walking tour. Tasting up to five cups of sake at seven breweries, in the middle of the day (most of the breweries are open 10:00-16:00, 17:00 at the latest) will make the hardiest stagger.

• Hotel Sunrise21, Hiroshima, Higashihiroshima, Saijo Showa-machi 5-10, Japan (Just over 2 km walk south of the main station), ☏ +81 82-431-3232. Check-in: 15:00-24:00, check-out: 10:00. No nonsense business hotel. ¥7700 per night for a double room. (updated May 2025)

• Takehara
• Mihara
• Kure
• Hiroshima
• Akitakata
• Kumano
• Etajima
• Onomichi
• Fukuyama

Hakata ← Hiroshima ←	W  E	→ Mihara → Shin-Osaka
Yamaguchi ← Hiroshima ←	W  E	→ Mihara → Okayama
Yamaguchi ← Hiroshima ←	W  E	→ Mihara-Kui → Okayama