Loose ends/various places Part 11

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.

Amaterasu Brewery – Enoshima
A brewery on Enoshima! Eight taps of their own stuff. Looks like they have cans too, but in the pictures I saw they seemed to be empty cans in a fridge which was presumably not switched on. But I guess that means they’ll be canning their beer and selling it at some stage. Looks like a nice space and it also looks like they do food.

Website

Beer Otaku Spice – Akihabara
Seems like it is the new place from the people behind Craft Beer House Kiwi, which was in Takaido but has now closed. Six taps of fashionable Japanese craft at normal-ish prices, (don’t be fooled, it looks cheap, but the sizes are smaller than usual). I guess the first part of the name is a reference to the location. And the spice part is because they serve curry.


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The Bench – Shinjuku
Standing bar/bottle shop located in EATo LUMINE, basically at Shinjuku station. Judging by the Instagram posts, lots of neon, lots of fashionable breweries and presumably prices to match. But Shinjuku is still really lacking in places to drink and you can’t get much more convenient than it being at the station. Probably not somewhere you’ll spend all night but probably worth a stop.
 (Was passing through the station the other day and I think this place is actually inside the station past the barriers in the underground passage that links the platforms. Guess this either makes it much more convenient or much less convenient depending on whether you’re traveling on a JR train or not when you visit).
Update: Popped in today and it was pretty much as I thought it would be. It’s a very small place and there aren’t any taps. Now I understand why it’s called the Bench, as the only place to sit is a bench. Not sure it’s somewhere you’ll be having more than one and feels a lot more like a bottle shop than a bar.
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Bottle Shop Transmit – Unoki
Seems to be linked to Beer Stand Stoop which is a bit of luck when it comes to competition as they are very close. Here the focus is on takeaway, but you can drink on site too. Quite limited opening hours so check before you go. Has an online shop too but I’m not sure if they deliver or that’s just for pick up only.


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Cafe and Bulk Shop Modest – Warabi
Think this is the first place on here in Warabi! The cafe part is easy to understand I guess but the bulk shop bit seems to be about selling ingredients whilst saving on packaging and food waste, which is of course admirable. Think they have just the one tap but also stock some cans. Daytime opening but closed midweek. They post their hours every month on Facebook.
Facebook

Craft Beer & Curry Holyhead – Otsuka
Don’t know if the curry or the beer is more important here, but on their Instagram the beer gets a little more attention. Seems like a mixture of draft (four taps) and cans of Japanese craft and imports.
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Craft Beer Kitchen Army – Machida

Looks like it could have been an Irish pub or something like that in a past life. Seems like they have quite a few taps, lots of pub food and is a decent size. I was slightly put off by the name, but that’s just me, I guess. Sounded like hard work! Have seen some very unusual brewery names on their Instagram, which is definitely a good thing if you’re looking to tick off uncommon beers.

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Fetish Club – Hamamatsucho
Brewery taproom and it looks like some brewing is done on site. At the same time they talk about a brewery in Yamaguchi so not sure quite how much the Tokyo brewery is used at the moment. 20 taps with some guests. Prices are a little on the high side and there doesn’t seem to be much difference between their beers and the guests. Decor seems to be how you might expect it to be from the name and the website. It looks like quite a young and trendy place. Which is exactly what an old git would say, isn’t it? Will give it a go when I’m in the area though.

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Grandline Brewing – Yokosuka
Brewery in Yokosuka with quite a flashy website, by which I mean, beware any epileptic readers. Seems to be quite in your face ‘fashionable’ from the branding and website. Definitely has a bit of money behind it. Looks like it has ten taps but is quite a small place. Something of a mystery.
Website

Grandpa Fish & Chips – Kameido
Five taps of Japanese craft and fish and chips. Beer prices look about average and it seems like they update their taplist on their website, complete with prices which is a pretty decent thing to do!
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Kiyose Dining – Kiyose, Higashi Kurume Craft Dining, Higashi Kurume

(and plenty of others too) – (in plenty of other places)
For my ongoing project of trying to have a beer in every part of Tokyo I went to Kiyose Dining (pictured), which seemed to be the only place in Kiyose where you could get craft beer. Whilst I was there I discovered there was a similar place in Higashi Kurume so also popped in there. It was extremely similar. These places are basically spots with pub food, Tap Marche beers and one tap of house beer made for them by the Fujimi brewery in Saitama. I think they actually might be owned and run by the brewery. But that’s just my suspicion. They were fun places, but to be honest, there’s probably no reason to travel out there. But if you’re in the area and looking for a limited selection of craft beer, it’s probably these places or nothing. To discover more ‘_____ Dining’ places look at Fujimi’s beers on Untappd. Many of them are named after the station and exit that the bar is near. Seems to be plenty of them on the Seibu Ikebukuro line.
Kiyose Dining website
Higashi Kurume Dining website

Moonrise Kingdom – Shinjuku
Craft beer and organic burritos. I’ve heard it’s a nice place. Looks quite small and is run by a young couple, I believe. Looks like they have three or four taps and some cans too. I’m guessing that they are Wes Anderson fans. Definitely an interesting place.
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Mugihige – Mizonokuchi
Craft Beer and oysters… I don’t know if that’s a good combination but this isn’t the first place that’s offered it so I guess people like it. Eight taps and other food that isn’t oysters. Judging by Untappd check ins it seems to be all Japanese craft.
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Mugi To Neko – Kunitachi
Small looking place in Kunitachi, but closer to Yaho station. From Instagram posts I can see they have at least seven taps. Prices are pretty standard and beer served in three sizes. Looks like they get some unusual stuff in. As far as I can see, all Japanese craft. Looks nice.
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Novus, Oh My Beer – Hachimanyama
Looks like a food focused place with six taps of Japanese craft. The food looks really nice. The beer looks a bit expensive. But there isn’t much else around this area so I guess that’s to be expected. Seems quite classy and they have lots of other booze too including natural wine, if that’s your thing. Have to say, I quite like the name.


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Pecora Beer – Satsukidai
New brewery out on the Karakida branch of the Odakyu line. Saw them advertised on the train which would normally ring some alarm bells, but as it is so close to the station, I wonder if their landlord is Odakyu and they got some free advertising. Think they aren’t brewing on the premises yet, but have done a few collaboration beers. Looks like it has nice little terrace. Will visit when they are properly up and running.
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Pepown – Chigasaki
The (kind of) recently opened taproom for Passific Brewing which is open a lot more often than and is a lot easier to get to than the brewery. I like Passific’s beers so I’ll go there and this place will have its own post soon I’m sure. 6 taps and lots of bottles and cans (obviously not all their own stuff). Looks like a good place.

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Romeo Brewery – Oshiage
New brewery but not brewing just yet. Close to Oshiage station. Looks like they have nice food. Doesn’t say much about the beer on their Instagram though, which I guess makes sense as they only have guests at the moment. Will update this when they start brewing if I remember.
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Spice & Booze – Asagaya
The name probably tells you everything. Seems like they have only Oni Densetsu on tap but have a fridge of imported cans too. So I guess not exactly somewhere you’re going to be drinking stuff you can’t get anywhere else. Looks pretty small.
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Tie One Beer House – Yokohama
Yes, I admit it, I’m a bit slow. Was wondering why all the Untappd check ins were for beers from Taiwan and then noticed the name of the place. Apparently has 16 taps so I guess maybe some of them might be Japanese stuff. Seems a bit mysterious.

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Two Kings – Kachidoki
Perhaps small bar in that bit of Tokyo near Tsukishima which is kind of an island. Had never heard of the station before which is a bit embarrassing… I say perhaps small as there aren’t many photos or much info online so it’s a bit difficult to tell. Five taps of Japanese craft and some cans. No sign of prices on the taplists they post on Instagram. Looks kind of interesting.
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Xixi – Yoyogi


Taiwanese food and Asian craft beer. 12 taps and some bottles too. Looks small from the photos but apparently has space for 28 people. A photo of their menu on Tabelog makes it look like it’s about 1/3 Japanese and 2/3 imports. Prices seemed surprisingly reasonable given that.
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