FAQs

We currently only ship to addresses within California.

Our primary carrier is General Logistics Systems (GLS), also known as Golden State Overnight.
We may also use UPS or Fedex at times.

We generally process your order within 2-3 days, and GLS delivery takes 1-2 days depending on when your order is received. You should normally expect delivery within 5 business days after placing your order. If you do not receive your order within 5 business days after placing an order, please contact us.

All alcohol shipments require an individual who is at least 21 years old to sign for each package. This is a legal requirement in California. So if you cannot have someone at the delivery location who is at least 21 years old to sign for the package, please contact us.

Our license only allows us to sell direct to consumer via the internet. We do not have a retail location for pickups, so all orders must be shipped.

Please contact us right away within 5 business days via email and send us a photo of the damaged item(s). We will initiate a damage claim with the carrier.

Yes, we can ship products as gifts and include a personalized note. Just send us an email right after placing your order.
We will also make sure there is no receipt with the price in the shipment. Please make sure the recipient has an adult present for delivery signature.

We consider all sales to be final upon shipment from our facility. Please refer to our Return Policy link at the bottom of each page.
However, if you receive an incorrect or damaged product, please notify us via email within 10 business days.

Shopify Payments accepts most major credit cards as well as PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay.

Promotional codes are only valid for a specific time period. If you believe your code is valid, please email us.

No, we respect the protection of your personal information and do not share your personal information by selling, trading or renting your information to third parties. Please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Hygiene and safety are key aspects of all breweries. We ask that you do not wear jewelry during the brewery visit, and be prepared to take off your shoes and wear shoe coverings or boots/sandals provided by the brewery. You may also be asked to wear a hairnet or lab coat. You will be asked to wash your hands in a very specific manner, e.g., soap, water, alcohol disinfectant. So please pay attention to these important details upon entering the brewery. Also, if we are allowed to enter the main production areas, there may be many hazards, such as steep stairs without handrailings, wet floors, cold or hot temperatures. Please be prepared for this, and if you are not comfortable with any situation, please let one of our tour organizers know. Also, due to the sensitive nature of the fermentation process, we ask that you refrain from eating natto, yogurt or certain probiotic drinks such as kombucha.

Brewing season in Japan is during the winter months, so be prepared for cold weather. Inside the brewery, most of the production areas are very cold, so wearing layers of clothing is advised. As we are traveling quite a bit on public transportation via bus and train, please do not bring a large suitcase. We recommend a carry-on size suitcase, but if you do need to bring a larger suitcase, please avoid any suitcase larger than 26 inches in height. Shinkansen trains recently restricted the size of luggage as well to 160 cm total dimensions (height + length + width) (that’s about 63 inches if you add up the three dimensions).

Cash is still used for many purchases in Japan, and there are many ATM’s located at convenience stores (combini), but credit cards are becoming the norm in Japan. You may wish to carry Japanese yen to purchase snacks or souvenirs, and that really depends on your own preference and budget. If you wish to purchase some sake from the breweries we visit, in most cases, they will accept credit cards. We will let you know if that is not the case.

Most areas in Japan are well-served with cellular service and wifi, but some of the rural areas we will visit may have limited Wifi capability. We suggest you look into purchasing a Japanese SIM card or renting a pocket wifi device. You may also have your own hot spot device from your own carrier/country, but please check with your carrier to make sure the device will work in Japan.

We will contact you after you send us information for a tour reservation. We require a 10% deposit once we confirm your reservation with the balance due 45 days before the scheduled tour start date. You can wire funds to our US bank account, or we can arrange payment via Paypal. Details will be sent upon confirmation of your tour reservation.

As we make our reservations with hotels and transportation well in advance of our tour, we must abide by the cancellation terms of each supplier of services. If you must cancel your reservation on one of our tours, please contact us as soon as you know. Refunds will depend on each provider, but we will not issue any refunds for cancellation made within 30 days of the start of the tour.

Yes, we encourage you to obtain an exchange order for a JR Rail Pass in your home country. Note that prices for JR Rail Passes are increasing after September 2023, so we recommend you purchase an exchange order before September 30 which can still be used by the end of 2023. We will work with you to provide a credit toward the overall cost of the tour for the estimated JR train costs included in the cost of the tour. Our Tour Coordinator can also assist you to exchange your order on the first day of the tour. Please contact us if you need any assistance or have any questions about the JR Rail Pass.

Train fares are included in the cost of the tour, so you do not need to have your own IC card, but we have found IC cards to be useful for vending machines and purchases at convenience stores.