Part 13! Unlucky for some. Actually maybe I’m the unlucky one as I suppose I should probably go back through all the old digest posts and check which places have closed down before I managed to visit them and remove them from this site. That’s next on my website to-do list. Other than that, 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 have not made it to yet, 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, it might mean that 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.
After School Brewery – Ikejiri
Have to say, I haven’t got a clue about this place. What a terrible way to start this digest post… Seems to be a bar rather than a brewery, but then that’s not an unusual story and presumably the brewery part will come in the future. Their Instagram mentions a podcast they seem to be doing. Untappd shows people drinking other breweries beers there so I guess the taproom at least is open. But I think there’s some kind of join in with the brewing thing that I’m missing to be honest. A mystery to me and one which will only be solved by me visiting, I guess.
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Cataratas Bottle Shop – Shibuya
Even though I live in Shibuya-ku I still haven’t visited here. I think I was maybe put off by hearing about Shibuya brewing which seemed like a massive waste of time. Cataratas used to be a bar in Shibuya if I remember correctly, but now is a spanking new booze shop where you can drink as well as take away. Don’t know any of the details like prices or corkage but their Instagram seems to show lots of modern style Japanese breweries so it’s probably going to be hazy heavy. Will get here sooner or later, I guess.
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Craftrock Taproom – Takao
For those of you who found their central Tokyo location a bit too convenient, Craftrock have opened a taproom at the foot of Mt. Takao. Seems like they have about eight taps and some cans and their Instagram mentions exclusive beers for this location. Food too. Open surprisingly often considering where it is, but very much a daytime place by the look of it.
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Draft Stand Basil – Yokohama
Standing bar in Yokohama that seems to stock a mix of Japanese and imported craft. Four taps of craft and one tap of Asahi Super Dry which seems to be being sold in that over-enthusiastic way that quite a few craft beer bars in Japan do who should know better. No idea about prices and the Super Dry thing puts me off a bit. Anyone know anything I should add?
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Haru no Ame Records and Beer – Nakanobu
Record shop specializing in ambient music which also serves coffee and beer. Hooray! Mostly open in the daytime and not really open at the weekend which probably won’t work for some but it seems that these unusual hours are due to childcare issues. Best to check before you visit. Their Instagram and website mainly focus on the records, so no idea about the beer. This place appeals to me so I’ve added it, but maybe it won’t to you so much so, sorry if it’s not up your street.
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Hopbeat Records WCB
Not a record shop so quite a deceptive name. A West Coast Brewing taproom and bottle shop in that maze of underground stuff near Tokyo station. This place has the selling point of being able to listen to a playlist of music selected by the boss of the company. Presumably this is a big deal for West Coast Brewing lovers. Six taps priced as WCB beers normally are (ie. quite expensive).
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Iina Brewing – Inagi
When I visited Hoppee for my beer in every part of Tokyo challenge the guy there told me about Iina brewing. I was going to wait till they started brewing before I visited and as I’m not sure if that has happened yet, I’m just going to add it here for the time being. At the moment it looks like they just have guest beers. Quite small and limited opening, but I’ll get there sooner or later and update.
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Kinsaiya The Hard Cider House – Akasaka
Bit confused by this place. It has mainly got onto this post by its name as their Instagram shows mostly food and Nihonshu with only very infrequent glimpses of cider. Approach with caution maybe. I wonder if they’re half way through a rebrand or something like that.
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Loom – Hatagaya
‘Natural wine, craft beer and spice food’ says the description. I think the beer is in cans and bottles rather than on tap. Good selection of breweries by the look of it. This is somewhere I have walked past quite a few times but never gone into. I feel I probably should soon. Seems to close mid-afternoon sometimes which suggests to me that it is a place that puts at least some emphasis on food. Best check their opening times on their Instagram if you’re thinking of visiting.
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Merocoto – Musashi Koyama
Izakaya with Japanese craft beer. Doesn’t look massive. Four taps and reasonable prices. Seems like the taps are side pour too which is something a bit different! And I’ve seen a photo of a hand pump too. Kind of intriguing, but as it’s an izakaya, it’s probably not somewhere you’d go if you just want to drink. Apparently they’ll open a brewery too this year.
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Mingel Farmhouse Beer – Mashiko
Bakery and brewery out in Tochigi. I’ve wanted to go here for a while as they make a lot of saisons and I like to drink a lot of saisons a lot. And I like bread too. But it’s a bit of a trek. One day I’ll make it though! Send me lots of donations (third box down on the right hand side on the desktop version) and I’ll make the trip and write it up for you all.
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Minna no Craft Beer – Ryugoku / Kuramae
Judging by Instagram photos, quite small standing bar. Six taps of Japanese craft with some interesting breweries included and food too. From scanning a QR code I found online I discovered their menu and the prices are surprisingly high. Seems to also have a sight sports bar theme going on. Looks fun, but the cheapest pint price I saw was ¥1790 for a domestic beer, so probably won’t be going there myself.
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Nomendo Brew Stand – Koshigaya
Taproom for the Nomendo Brew Labs brewery, with sixteen taps, split roughly half and half between their own stuff and Japanese craft guests. Prices seem pretty reasonable, with most beers priced the same and a little bit of a surcharge for the usual suspect styles. Seems like they have some food. As you can guess from the name, it’s a standing bar.
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Pherment Brewing – Kuramae
When I saw this place had opened it seemed like a totally new thing to me, but then I found that they’d had a previous taproom in a Vector brewing spot that was written about on this site by James. I guess they’ve finally got their own space now. Even though the taproom has been open about half a year it seems that they’re only just now tapping their first beers made on site. So perhaps for once my slowness has paid off and saved me some work. Their Instagram is not very informative and pictures I’m looking at online aren’t really helping answer any questions I have and seem to contradict each other, so basically I’m saying I haven’t got a clue what’s going on, but I am interested in finding out, so will try to go soon.
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Potluck Craft Beer & Bistro – Shiba
Opened fairly recently in December 2025. Beer and food, I guess. Seems like six taps. From Instagram pictures their prices vary wildly. Some cans too. 32 seats but the pictures make it look a bit smaller. Guess this is a place aimed at businessmen doing after work drinking.
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Rikri – Gakugei-daigaku
Fairly new brewery with a small taproom attached. Seems like eight taps, about half of which are their own beers which are reasonably priced. Guest beers are either a bit more expensive or a lot more expensive depending on the style and brewery. Has a definite whiff of looking like they know what they are doing which has piqued my interest.
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Rraap Brewery – Shonandai
Brewery tap room with seven taps, split roughly half and half between their own beers and Japanese guests. Prices look good but no idea about the size of the glass so could be very wrong about this. Lots of food and lots of seating. Haven’t really heard anything about this place so it’s a bit of a mystery. As is the name.
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Sanity Takanawa – Takanawa Gateway
Another branch of Sanity, this time in the food hall of a shopping centre. I guess that first sentence has attracted and put off people in equal numbers. A surprising number of taps, (sixteen by the look of it), for somewhere that is in a food court, but maybe the key is that there is an office building above it. Apparently you can order food from the other places in the food court whilst you drink. I guess the seating area is communal. My feeling, without actually visiting, is that it would be a nice place for a drink if you were in the shopping centre, but it’s not exactly calling me as a destination. But hey, maybe that’s just me.
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Sibeeria Tap Room in Tokyo – Takashimadaira
Tokyo tap room of a Czech microbrewery that I had never heard of until I went to the Japan Brewers Cup and saw they were one of the sponsors of the event! The place seems to have been open over a year though… Looks like they make beer that is more in the modern craft kind of ballpark than what you might expect from a Czech brewery. Online photos show prices that are on the higher side of average, but to be honest, that average goes up on a weekly basis recently. And in their defence, the sizes are slightly bigger than other places’ pints and halves. Serves some food too. Limited opening hours.
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Tsukioka Brewery – Niigata
Brewery, taproom and kitchen which initially seemed to be in the middle of nowhere but is quite close to a famous (?) onsen. Still pretty difficult to get to though. Looks like four taps of their own beer at good prices and some food. Daytime opening only and closed some days. I think it’s unlikely you’ll be going here unless you are in town for the onsen.
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Uchu Brewing Toranomon – Toranomon
Six taps of their beers at Uchu prices and some cans too that you can drink on site if you pay a surprisingly small corkage fee. Says they have ten seats online, but I think it’s a standing bar, so maybe that means ten standing spots. Facebook seems to be the best place to find out what they have on tap and in can. Uchu is a weird one for me. Obviously I’m not a hazy beer guy and that is very much what they do. Also, I’m a bit suspicious about their prices and their crowdfunding. But maybe they needed to do that in order to to pay to make these videos:
Confusion 1
Confusion 2
It’s another place in a fancy shopping centre so you probably know what you’re going to get but if you’re after Uchu beers in Tokyo, this is clearly the place to go.
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Vertere Yokohama Taproom – Yokohama
Another Vertere taproom! This one is in that bit of Yokohama between Kannai and Hinodecho where there are quite a lot of craft beer bars so a good option for a crawl. Some Instagram spying suggests it has 12 taps, cans too and no seats.
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WCB The Room – Toranomon
West Coast Brewing’s beer restaurant in Tokyo. 20 taps of beer which is mostly theirs but includes some Japanese guests, and some cans for takeaway. Food is apparently Tex-Mex. Daytime opening. Prices are exactly as you’d expect if you’ve ever bought a WCB beer.
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The Wharf House Yamashita Koen – Yokohama
Cafe/restaurant with naturally a focus on food. Seems to have mainly Yokohama Brewery beers on. No idea about prices, but you’ve probably got to imagine they would be better if you actually went to Yokohama Brewery’s place not too far away. I imagine this is a nice spot to have a beer though given the location. If you don’t want to eat, I’d probably suggest going during the day as it does seem to be open all day long.
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White Dog Brewing – Uraga
Nice looking small brewpub in Uraga which is in Yokosuka, (something I didn’t know till a couple of minutes ago). Twelve taps and decent prices plus some food too. Seems to have been open for two years already and has gone completely under my radar.
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Yorocco Beer Taproom Ofuna – Ofuna
Standing bar, with twelve taps, two thirds their own and one third guest beers. Excellent prices. Lots of cans, (their own and guests too), and food too. I guess this is pretty much like their taproom in Kamakura which you can read about here, but a bit closer to Tokyo. Both of these things are excellent news for me. Will definitely go here as soon as possible.
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