Sake TabiA guide to visiting Japan's sake breweries, distilleries, wineries and more
BEER

Beer: places to visit

Take a factory tour or visit a brewery taproom. Tour days may differ from opening days, so check before you go.

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A tap tower and three glasses of beer in different colours

An image of a brewery taproom (AI-generated)

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An image introducing this type of drink. It does not depict a specific place to visit.
Entrance of Kirin Brewery Hokkaido Chitose Brewery
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Kirin Brewery Hokkaido Chitose Brewery

Chitose, Hokkaido

The Kirin Ichiban Shibori tour lasts about 90 minutes, including a 65-minute brewery visit and 25 minutes of tasting.

Booking: Reservation required
The red-brick exterior of the Sapporo Beer Museum
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Sapporo Beer Museum

Sapporo, Hokkaido

A museum on the history of beer-making that began in Sapporo. Choose a self-guided visit or a guided tour with tastings. There is no brewing equipment on site.

Booking: Reservation recommended
Exterior of the Sapporo Beer Hokkaido Factory
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Sapporo Breweries Hokkaido Brewery

Eniwa, Hokkaido

A 60-minute tour in which a brand communicator explains the ingredients, brewing process and history of Sapporo Classic, ending with a tasting.

Booking: Reservation required
Brownish-red building and sign of Baeren Brewery
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Baeren Brewery (Kitayama Plant)

Morioka, Iwate

A roughly 20-minute staff-guided tour of the Kitayama plant with three options: free, one drink, or 30 minutes of unlimited drinks.

Booking: Reservation required
The former work area and boiler house of Sekinoichi Shuzo, now the brewery restaurant
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Sekinoichi Shuzo Iwate Kura Beer Brewery Tour

Ichinoseki, Iwate

A staff-led tour of the craft beer brewing process, with hands-on contact with malt and hops and an optional tasting of four beers.

Booking: Reservation required
Exterior of YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO
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YEBISU BREWERY TOKYO

Shibuya (Yebisu Garden Place), Tokyo

The guided tour "YEBISU the JOURNEY" combines the Yebisu history museum, a glass-side view of the brewing equipment and a tasting in the taproom.

Booking: Reservation required
Exterior of the Kirin Brewery Nagoya Plant
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Kirin Brewery Nagoya Plant

Kiyosu, Aichi

An 80-minute tour where you handle the ingredients of Ichiban Shibori, compare first- and second-press wort, and learn how to taste beer. A premium tour for adults is also offered.

Booking: Reservation required
Main gate of the Kirin Brewery Fukuoka Factory
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Kirin Brewery Fukuoka Factory

Asakura, Fukuoka

A reservation-based tour of the brewery that makes Kirin Ichiban Shibori, with a first-pressed vs second-pressed wort comparison and a tasting of freshly drafted beer.

Booking: Reservation required
Overview of the Sapporo Breweries Kyushu Hita Brewery
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Sapporo Breweries Kyushu Hita Brewery

Hita, Oita

Besides a guided brewery tour that explains the process step by step, there are the Sapporo Theater and a special Black Label tour. The brewery tour is announced as starting on 28 January 2026.

Booking: Reservation required
The entrance sign of Orion Happy Park
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Orion Happy Park (Orion Beer Nago Brewery)

Nago, Okinawa

A tour starting in a gallery recreating a local shop from 1965-1974 with Orion history displays, covering the main brewing steps and ending with a tasting.

Booking: Reservation required
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Secondary sources (not confirmed with the facility)

Abashiri Beer Kan

Abashiri, Hokkaido

The visitor facility of Abashiri Beer, maker of Ryuhyo Draft and other beers brewed with added ingredients, with a yakiniku restaurant on site.

Booking: Check the official site
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Beer Bar NORTH ISLAND

Sapporo, Hokkaido

The direct-run beer bar in Sapporo of North Island Beer, whose brewery is in Ebetsu, pouring its own craft beer.

Booking: Reservation recommended
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Tap Room BEER KOTAN

Sapporo, Hokkaido

The direct-run taproom in Sapporo's Odori area of Hop Kotan Brewing (Kamifurano), serving fresh beers from the brewery along with food.

Booking: No reservation needed
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Bifuka Shirakaba Brewery

Bifuka, Hokkaido

A craft brewery in a converted brick warehouse in Bifuka, billed as Japan's northernmost. Its restaurant serves the beer with locally produced Genghis Khan lamb.

Booking: Check the official site
Beer
Secondary sources (not confirmed with the facility)

Furano Ji-Mugishu Kan

Furano, Hokkaido

A log-cabin-style brewery and restaurant in a converted pension, brewing Furano craft beer since 2000.

Booking: Check the official site
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Hakodate Beer

Hakodate, Hokkaido

A craft beer restaurant with its own brewery in Hakodate's bay area. The ground floor has a shop and restaurant, with brewing tanks visible from the dining area.

Booking: Check the official site
Beer
Secondary sources (not confirmed with the facility)

Hakodate Yukawa Brewery (Endeavour Yukawa)

Hakodate, Hokkaido

Endeavour, a restaurant with an on-site brewery in Yunokawa, Hakodate, serving beer brewed with local farm produce.

Booking: Check the official site
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Hop Kotan Brewing

Kamifurano, Hokkaido

A brewery in Kamifurano, the only town in Hokkaido that grows hops commercially. It brews over 70 kinds of beer a year using local and imported hops.

Booking: Check the official site
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Tsuki to Taiyo Brewing Main Store

Sapporo, Hokkaido

The direct-run pub of Tsuki to Taiyo Brewing in central Sapporo, pouring around 10 beers a day brewed at the company's Shiroishi plant.

Booking: Reservation recommended
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Secondary sources (not confirmed with the facility)

NAKAFURANO BREWERY (Taproom THE DAY)

Nakafurano, Hokkaido

A craft brewery using Nakafurano-grown hops and groundwater from the Tokachidake range, with a container-house taproom called THE DAY.

Booking: Check the official site
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Secondary sources (not confirmed with the facility)

Niseko Beer (Craft Beer Restaurant Nikai)

Niseko, Hokkaido

The brewery and craft beer restaurant of Niseko Beer in Niseko town, making a range of beers on small-scale equipment.

Booking: Check the official site
Beer
Secondary sources (not confirmed with the facility)

Noboribetsu Ji-Beer Kan (Oni Densetsu)

Noboribetsu, Hokkaido

A souvenir shop with an on-site brewery run by Wakasaimo Honpo, selling the Noboribetsu-water craft beer Oni Densetsu.

Booking: Check the official site
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Obihiro Beer (Rancho Elpaso)

Obihiro, Hokkaido

A restaurant attached to the Obihiro Beer brewery, serving the beer with dishes made from Tokachi ingredients.

Booking: Check the official site
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Okhotsk Beer Factory

Kitami, Hokkaido

The brewery and restaurant of Okhotsk Beer in Kitami, serving its beer and food.

Booking: Check the official site