Beer, one of the world’s most loved drinks and social lubricants.
Japan’s beer is famous for it’s yellow-gold colour, a soft froth at the top with a smooth feeling as you drink. By visiting a beer factory you’ll catch the scent of fresh hops, look at how it’s produced and have a taste of freshly brewed beer!
This article will introduce beer factories where you can try such freshly brewed beer, including Japan’s most famous brands, Sapporo, Suntory, Kirin and Asahi all within one hour of central Tokyo.
Contents
1) Sapporo Beer Chiba Factory (Chiba Prefecture)
Sapporo beer began in 1876 in the Hokkaido city of the same name. There are several brands of Sapporo beer such as “Ebisu” and “Sapporo black label” which have a rich and sophisticated range of tastes.
Sapporo Beer Chiba Factory <Factory tour> |
2) Suntory – Musashino Beer factory (Tokyo Prefecture)
Suntory was one of the biggest producer of the 100% malt beer during the 80s, where dry beer became popular. Recently, Suntory has introduced its third brand, of “gold wheat” beer with a softer flavour.
Suntory - Musashino Beer factory <Factory tour> |
3) Asahi Beer Kanagawa factory (Kanagawa Prefecture)
In 1987, the first strong dry beer was sold in Japan by Asahi, and this made a huge impact on the beer market. This started with Asahi Superdry, as well as many other beers with rich and sophisticated tastes.
Asahi Beer Kanagawa factory <Factory tour> |
4) Kirin Beer Yokohama factory (Kanagawa Prefecture)
A long-established manufacturer with origins in the Meiji period(1603-1868), and has many famous varieties, including the world famous brands of Kirin Lager and Kirin Ichiban.
Kirin Beer Yokohama factory <Factory tour> |
We hope you enjoyed this article, and that you can visit a beer factory to see how your favourite beer is made!
If you are interested in Japanese Sake, feel free to check out this article!

Hazuki Yamazaki
