Crafty Brews: 10 of the Best Craft Beer Bars in Japan

Koenji Craft Beer Market, Tokyo

Over the years, this humble bar has become so popular that it now has outposts in Shinbashi, Jimbocho, Awajicho, Mitsukoshimae, Kichijoji, and Koenji. It’s a one-stop shop for all those who want to start exploring the world of Japanese craft beers but don’t know where to begin. You’ll find around 30 domestic brews available on tap as well as an extensive food menu offering hearty western style dishes.

CRAFT BEER MARKET Koenji

Tokyo Suginami

03-5356-7982

URL：http://www.craftbeermarket.jp/koenji/

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Wakayama Tanabe Voyager Brewing

Thanks to its lush mountain ranges, picturesque castle, and gravity-defying waterfalls, Wakayama is rapidly gaining in popularity among adventurous travelers as a must visit destination. However, there’s plenty to explore in-town too. After a day admiring the stunning natural beauty, visit Voyager Brewing in Tanabe City for a well-deserved drink. Brewing since 2016, Voyager uses locally sourced pure ‘Kishu Kumano’s Life Water’ with the internationally found malt and hops from America, Germany, and the Czech Republic to create a line of beers that are truly special.

VOYAGER BREWING Co.

和歌山県田辺市上の山1-9-20

0739343305

word;">http://www.voyagerbrewing.co.jp/

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Kitakami Pub Robin Hood

Carrying on from the area’s rich sake tradition, Iwate Prefecture is also becoming one of the country’s most passionate craft beer hubs. Pay a visit to Robin Hood Pub in Kitakami to experience a unique blend of cultures. A British pub, run by Stephen Butland - a British brewer who lives in the area, Pub Robin Hood serves up a flavourful cross-section of brews including red ales, stout, honey ales, and the distinctly Japanese sakura (cherry blossom) beer.

Yokohama Spring Valley Brewery

The Kirin Beer Factory is a must visit for any beer lover visiting Yokohama, especially because nearby sits the Yokohama Spring Valley Brewery, the city’s most extensive craft beer hangout. The brewery offers a broad selection of tap beers and international cuisine including full meals and snacks. But if you can’t choose, the beer flight tasting set is highly recommended, it features local beers expertly paired with interesting bite-sized dishes, like Jazzberry beer with brie cheese and pickles.

スプリングバレー

神奈川県横浜市鶴見区生麦1丁目17-1

0455063017

URL：https://www.springvalleybrewery.jp/pub/yokohama/

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Kyoto Beer Pub Takumiya

From the outside, this quaint little blue pub looks like it’s been plucked from the back streets of a London and plopped right here in Kyoto. Inside, Pub Takumiya is a meld of local and foreign influences. International menu, friendly local staff and a cross-section of customers. The pub’s specialty is draft beer, and it regularly features a selection of around eight craft beers predominantly sourced from companies found on the western side of Japan.

タクミヤ

京都府京都市中京区押小路通東洞院西入船屋町400-1

075-744-1675

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Kyoto Before 9

Kyoto is a definitely a beer-loving paradise. Perhaps its obsession for small batch brewing came from the city sake-soaked history of the city. An excellent example of this crossover-brew love is Kyoto bar Before 9, a craft beer bar whose owner is a former sake brewer. With its rustic machiya townhouse ambiance, and modern, minimalistic interior Before 9 is a beer hall with one foot deeply rooted in the past and the other firmly planted in the future.

Before9

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Nakagyou-ku Nijoudenchou 545

0757416492

17:00-next 1:00

URL：http://sakahachi.jp/

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Kyoto Beer Komachi

A cozy, casual bar tucked just a few steps away from Kyoto’s bustling Komachi shopping street, Beer Komachi is all about cross-cultural fusion and showcasing the country’s incredible local brews to the world. With around six to eight beers always on tap, and on constant rotation, it’s a home away from home for every and any weary traveler looking to unwind after a day exploring Kyoto.

Akita Beer Flight Craft Beer Pub

Up north in Akita, they love beer so much that in late August the city is home to one of the nation’s best craft beer festivals. If you’re not in town in time for the celebration, then be sure to visit the subtly aviation-themed Akita Beer Flight Craft Beer Pub. With western style pub snacks and a broad selection of small-batch beers, it’s sure to satisfy your craft brew cravings.

Beer Flight(ビアフライト)

秋田県秋田市南通亀の町4-15 ヤマキウビル1F

0188384773

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Abashiri Yakiniku Abashiri Beer Kan

Sitting along the Abashiri River in Hokkaido is where you’ll find one of the stranger beer experiences in Japan. Yakiniku Beer-kan is a bar whose specialty is colored beer. It may not look like the most natural drink, but the bright blue Ryuhyo Draft, is made from a non-artificial mix of melted sea ice and natural colorings from the sea, so for the most adventurous of beer drinkers, it’s worth a try!

Yakiniku Abashiri Beer Kan

Hokkaido Abashirishi Minaminijounishi 4-1-2

0152410008

[Monday-Thursday]17:00-23:00…

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Beer Inn Mugishutei Sapporo

Sapporo is famous for whiskey and its namesake, Sapporo beer, but there’s a vibrant little craft brew scene happening in town too. To experience the city’s love of international micro-brew beers, visit Beer Inn Mugishutei. Founded by an American in 1980, the bar is now famous for its US-centric drink menu featuring hard-to-find small run beers from all over the country. They also serve American style cuisine to match.

Mugishutei

Hokkaido Sapporoshi Chuou-ku Minamikujounishi 5 Yoshiyabiru underground

0115124774

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