It’s only been six months since the last digest post but the backlog was building again. I’ve actually been quite pleased that recently I’ve visited a few places that were on digest posts and given them posts of their own. This was the ultimate aim of these posts I think. It’s good to at least get the names out there and I’ll get round to them when I have the time and the money, both of which I am very, very short of at the moment. And here’s the usual digest post blurb. If you want to see all of the digest posts and find out a little bit about places that we are yet to make it to, please check the digest category on the right hand side or alternatively you can just click here. As with previous digest posts, an inclusion here doesn’t vouch for a place, but does just say that it looks like it might be of some interest. (Or in the case of some might mean I’ve been there and it was OK but not that exciting). Places will remain as a ? on the map till they have been visited. But hopefully in the brief write ups there will be enough to give you some idea of what they might be like.
Beer Marrow – Kichijoji
A few words from obrftokyo about this place.
‘Small (10-12 seats at counter and facing the train tracks), with unobtrusive BGM and around 10 taps (domestic and imported), usually including a couple of ciders. Great for a quiet drink while you watch the sardines on the Chuo line … unless you have to get the same train home later. Prices a little higher than other spots. Minimal food menu.’
Instagram
Cedar Mountain Shop – Shimo Kitazawa
Craft beer specialist according to its name. Quite mysterious place as its online presence apart from the Instagram, (which doesn’t give a great deal of information), is pretty sparse. Seems to be a bottle shop with four taps. Instagram shows a mix of Japanese and imported Craft Beer. No idea about prices. Will try to pay a visit soon.
Instagram
Chouseiya – Mobara
Beer shop with some good stuff out in the middle of Chiba. They also have a web shop here so you don’t need to go to Chiba and can get that good stuff sent to you, which is useful as it seems pretty difficult to get to. This also means that you can easily check what they’ve got and their prices too.
Facebook
Craft Beer Abbina – Tateishi
Looks like a nice little bar with a couple of counters and five taps. They post on Facebook when they add new beers and it looks like they are all Japanese craft. Some interesting selections in there. Not sure about prices, but looks like a fun local kind of place.
Facebook
Eitai Shikkou – Monzennakacho
Perhaps came across this by accident as I think my note was referring to the old Eitai brewery which I believe moved to Chiba. When Googling, I found this place, just a bit over the bridge from the old Eitai Brewing place. Eight taps of sometimes Japanese and sometimes imported stuff that seems quite curated. Looks like they do lots of tap takeovers judging by their Instagram. Prices seem a bit high, but that seems to be the case in most places now. And I guess you do pay a bit more for the kind of fancy stuff they seem to be stocking. Check their Instagram for beer details. This place looks interesting!
Instagram
Funabashi Beer – Nishi Funabashi
Had never even heard of this place till I was ‘researching’ Narashino Beer. Seems like it’s a brewpub and they have three taps of their own stuff along with pub food. Prices look good but don’t know how big the glass size is.
Instagram
Good Condition Beer & Coffee Stand – Yaesu
Confusing! Seems tiny and looks like it might be a bit out of place in Nihonbashi. Apparently the owner is the brewer of Gahaha Beer which further confuses me as I thought that was a very local thing. Looks like they always have at least one Gahaha beer on and they have one other tap which is either Gahaha or a Japanese guest. Some beer snacks too. Oh and coffee I guess. Interesting!
Instagram
GRILL-ya – Fuchu
Subtitled a ‘meat and cheese bar’, I spotted this when walking to Asaya in Fuchu. On inspection of its Instagram, I’m not sure it’s the most beery place but they do mention Craft Beer prominently on their shop signage and I’ve added it because there are hardly any craft beer places in Fuchu. Beers on the Instagram aren’t the most exciting, but Fuchu beggars can’t be choosers.
Instagram
Hammam Craft Beer Bottle Shop – Gakugei Daigaku
Another craft beer shop / kakuuchi / standing bar in Gakugeidaigaku! Looks small and has less choice than its neighbours perhaps, but does look fun. Reasonable corkage fee and seems like a good selection. Only open at the weekend judging by Instagram posts. And no taps I think.
Instagram
Haneda sky brewing – Tenkubashi
The name suggests that it is a brewery taproom but I believe the brewery is actually at a place called RE.beer near Ikegami station (see below). Looks like a pretty spacious place with lots of food and different drinks and about eight taps of craft beer, most of it Japanese. Bottles and cans too. Prices from a menu eight months ago look decent. On one of their menus I spotted Virgo beer though, which is a major red flag. Strange or genius location as it’s pretty much at Haneda Airport. I say pretty much but as it’s actually one station away you’ve got to take the train to go there from the airport itself.
Instagram
Honan Local Good Brewers – Honancho
New-ish brewery in Honancho which is nice as it fills in an area of Tokyo that doesn’t have much in the way of Craft Beer places. Brewery with a tiny little pub part at the front judging by the pictures on their website. I can see two tap handles only, but perhaps there are more. Limited opening hours, but like I said, there’s not much else around this area.
Instagram
Isetan Craft Beer Bar – Shinjuku
Exactly what it says, a craft beer bar in the Isetan department store. Four taps and standing only judging by the photos. But also lots of cans and bottles as you’d expect from a department store. I guess you can drink these on site too. Looking at the photos, I think this is just the old beer part of the Isetan B1 food area but with a counter added. Could be interesting, but it is a bar in a department store‘s food floor so let’s not get too excited.
Instagram
Kashiwa Beer – Kashiwa
Brewpub in Kashiwa, a little walk out of the town centre. Quite big place but was pretty full not long after opening time when we went there after a football match. Had nine taps of their own beer on when we went with prices at ¥600 for 280ml and ¥780 for 400ml of the regular beers. Two seasonals were ¥770 but I think the serving size was a bit smaller than the usual larger size. Maybe 350ml? Also they have a flight of three beers for ¥1300. Seems quite food focused with some interesting Japanese dishes on as well as pub grub. Fun local place, but I think I preferred the food to the beer.
Website
Komuro Beer – Jiyugaoka
Beer shop with a few fridges and ten taps. Looks like they have good stuff in those fridges though! Few tables too and in the pictures I can cans on the tables so drinking the stuff in the fridge on site must be ok. Tap list is on their Instagram story. Prices look what you’d expect for the neighbourhood. Daytime opening!
Instagram
Magic Hour – Shimo Takaido
6 taps of Japanese craft. Have seen the prices but without knowing the glass size it’s difficult to say if they’re good or not. Looks like a Belgian flute style glass but don’t know how high they fill it. Some cans too. Food looks pretty fancy. Seems like it’s mostly a standing place.
Instagram
Narashino Craft Beer – Yatsu
Brewpub that looks small but has quite a few taps, maybe about 10. Prices look pretty good too. Lots of food on offer too. Will have to check this one out.
Instagram
New Valley – Futako Tamagawa
Wine shop but with quite a few fridges of beer too. There seem to be a few seats and their Instagram says you can enjoy the stuff they sell on site as well as take it away. Breweries look fashionable so perhaps the prices reflect this, but I’m only guessing. Interesting.
Instagram
Omori Sanno Brewery, Hi-Time – Omori
Says it’s a brewery but I think it’s a contract brewer. Their Facebook mentions surprisingly little about beer which is a bit strange. Hi-Time is a small standing bar and beer shop, I believe just for their beers. Can’t find much info really so sorry, this is a bit uninformative. Beware, they used to have a place called Special End which is still on their website but it’s closed now.
Website
P-144 – Ikebukuro
Kind of new bar which looks pretty swish and reasonably sized. Lots of pictures of food when you Google it so maybe that’s their focus. Open all day which is a bonus. Only sign of beer on their Instagram is bottles and cans. They have pictures of taps but no sign of any tap lists anywhere. Google reviews are very positive about the beer, if you want to trust them. Will have a look next time I’m in the area.
Instagram
RE.beer – Ikegami
The brewery of the Haneda Sky Brewery. Seems like they have eight taps with a couple of them being their own beers. Guest beers don’t look very exciting but prices seem ok. Lots of food pictures online and no sign of the brewery equipment so maybe I was wrong about that part.
Instagram
Rikyu Gyutan Chofu – Chofu
A few words from Jeff about this place.
‘Went for beef tongue at the Chofu station spot for the well-know Sendai restaurant “Rikyu”. Was pleased to see a nice array of craft beer that the very same establishment is producing and serving at the restaurant. Nice!’
Prices seem reasonable but don’t know about the glass size.
Website
Sabatora Shuhan – Yokohama
I think this is Caliquors branch/equivalent in Yokohama. I believe I heard they are connected. Check the previous Caliquors posts here and here. Definitely seem to have the same selection. So I’m going to presume the set up is the same too. Another place with a good logo.
Facebook
Stand Umineko – Shibuya
The bar chain with loads of taps from weird breweries which started in Kansai and then opened a branch in Fukuoka has now made it to Tokyo. I’ve heard it’s a very small spot in Dogenzaka with loads of taps (20), which sounds like a potentially dangerous combination. I wrote about the Fukuoka place here, so you can read that and perhaps get a vague insight. The fact that it’s in Shibuya but I haven’t been here yet perhaps suggests that I’m not their greatest fan or target audience. In Fukuoka they served everything in plastic cups which was a big turn off for me.
Instagram
Tachihi Brewery – Tachikawa
Brewery a few stops north of Tachikawa station on the monorail with a tasting room. Their website makes the place look massive by Japanese standards. Tasting room looks like a standing bar with around five taps and some light snacks. No idea about prices but I’m kind of intrigued how it can be so big and yet so unknown (to me at least).
Website
Tasting Bar Shibataya – Nakano
Booze shop with a tasting area so we’re back in kakuuchi territory again. Looks like four taps of Japanese craft plus about 100 other beers in cans and bottles. Tap beer seems to feature Beer Kobo stuff prominently (not Kobo Beer). There’s not much going on in Nakano, so that’s a good reason for me to add it to this post, I reckon.
Website
Tsukinowaguma – Gakugei Daigaku
Google maps says it’s a brewpub but I think it’s just a bar. Looks a little bit fancy. Three taps of Japanese craft at kind of ok prices but seems slightly expensive for the smaller sizes. L shaped counter for not many people. Some bottles and cans too from various places. Nice logo!
Instagram
WR – Gakugei Daigaku
Not sure exactly what the name is as it seems to have a few. Coffee shop and craft beer place that seemed quite popular on a Tuesday afternoon. Prices were quite high and beers weren’t that interesting so we gave it a miss, but fits in very well with the other Gakugeidaigaku beer places in the way that it’s quite trendy and youthful. And expensive…
Instagram
Yose – Sangubashi
Really interesting looking place. Says it’s a standing bar but I could see some seats in online pictures. Lots of food too, some of which looks quite fancy. Seems like they have three taps of unusual stuff at reasonable prices. And a fridge of cans but not sure if they are drink in, takeaway or both. One picture also showed a bit of a record shop. Probably need to go here quite soon.
Instagram