| Pub | Comments | Location |
|---|---|---|
| CHIBA | ||
| 99 Tap Room | A small taproom upstairs with twelve taps on, belonging to Kankiku Brewery. Plain decor with some comfy looking sofas although I sat at the counter. One of the taps is their own sake! It was pretty quiet at half five on a Tuesday. I sampled their very good Stout (7%), and a fruty and gorgeous IPA (6%).
Last visited June 2026. |
|
| Barley Field Craft Beer Kitchen | This tiny bar - we had to sit outside - has about thirty beers on the menu but only four were actually available. There is a limited menu of food as well. I had Wednesday Cat followed by Yona Yona Ale.
Last visited June 2026. |
Chiba Station complex |
| Citta Brewery Taproom | A tiny bar on the third floor serving four of their own brews. I had the excellent Walnut Moon Dry Stout 5.8%. The basic bar food, chicken and chips etc. is good.
Cashless. Last visited June 2026. |
Chiba Station complex |
| Hub Jef United Pub | Branded as a British Pub, this small pleasant bar doesn't owe much to Britain although they do sell Punk IPA, Guinness, and a rather good Hub Ale. And serve fish and chips.
If you can't find it, you need to know it is rail side of the gates. Last visited June 2026. |
Chiba Station complex |
| Salvatore Cuomo | This Italian restaurant/bar is located on the ground floor of the Daiwa Roynet hotel.
Last visited June 2026. |
Odori Avenue, near Chiba Station |
| HIROSHIMA | ||
| Bar 196 | Nothing like the craft beer bar Google had led me to expect, mainly serving spirits from a truly enormous range - you can hardly move for bottles. But nonetheless a very odd conical glass in a stand with some tasty beer - Gargery ale. Followed this with Gargery Black, a superb flavoursome stout.
Last visited May 2026. |
|
| Ginza Lion Beer Hall | A bit tiny to claim "hall" with only about fifty seats, serving a few good beers, nothing rare. If you're looking for authentic traditional Japan this is not the place, but I really liked it. Deep fried oysters and beef stew were both very good.
Last visited May 2026. |
Hiroshima station |
| Grand Gate Bar | A modern restaurant/bar located in the Hiroshima station complex. I had an excellent Oyster Stout which, I was told, had real Hiroshima oysters in it.
Last visited May 2026. |
|
| Miyajima Brewery | A compact place in a tourist trap street on the popular destination of Miyajima Island. Their Weiss is very good.
Last visited May 2026. |
|
| KAMAKURA | ||
| Ege Craft Bar | Up two flights of stairs (Ignore the queue for the restaurant half way up.) to find this pleasant bar run by a friendly Turkish gentleman. Thirteen taps offer various local beers, I had Your Krush from Kankiku brewing in Chiba, a hazy and fruity one. Have I had it before? No, I had their Stout and IPA a few days ago. Turkish food is on the menu.
Last visited June 2026. |
|
| NAGOYA | ||
| Nagoya Beer Station | A modern styled pub/restaurant with their own craft beer and good food ordered by tablet.
Last visited May 2026. |
|
| Peter Cole | This pleasant enough pretend Irish pub in a modern hotel offers Guinness, Carlsberg and three Japanese beers. I had the one with no western name. Google translate says First Press.
Last visited May 2026. |
|
| ODAWARA | ||
| Ginza Lion | Conveniently located just outside the station is this modern-styled bar/restaurant. A bit plastic, perhaps, but pleasant enough if you want a "pint" between trains. Not many people in at three on a Saturday.
Last visited June 2026. |
|
| OKAYAMA | ||
| Del Sole | A pleasant cafe bar in the station complex offering three craft beers in bottles from Okayama Jimoto. I had "#4 Kurashinki Hazy IPA" at 7% and then "#9 Setouchi White Ale" 5%.
Last visited June 2026. |
Station |
| Doppo | A beer counter in the station's shopping centre, offering a range of Doppo brews on draft, and a massive selection of their bottles. There doesn't seem to be anywhere to sit and drink, and the nearby food court has "No Drinking" signs, so I just propped up the counter and enjoyed a Stout.
Last visited June 2026. |
Station |
| SHIZUOKA | ||
| Twelve | A small bar serving a selection of West Coast Brewing's beers. I had "The Gateway: Eternal", a superb 11.5% barrel aged imperial stout with banana and coconut - BEER OF THE HOLIDAY!
Last visited June 2026. |
|
| West Coast Brewing Tap | Having enjoyed their beer in Twelve yesterday, I seized a two hour gap in plans to visit their brewery tap. A very pleasant modern building across the road from the actual brewery, offering a good range of their excellent beers from the normal to the very strong. I had Time Ship, a hazy pale one, and then "GMT+9 Silent Dissent", a glorious barrel aged imperial stout at 13.5%.
Last visited June 2026. |
Mochimune |
| TOKYO | ||
| Bar Rage | An odd name for a bar! A standard airport drink counter, air side, I had a "large" Orion. An Okinawa brew but I think they belong to Asahi.
Last visited June 2026. |
Haneda Airport T3 |
| Craft Beer Bar Ibrew Ginza | A tiny bar with umpteen taps (I can see maybe 48 but I don't think they are all on) offering their own and other brewers' quality beers from around the world. I see they have more space in a bigger room at the back, but when I arrived all the customers were sitting at the bar. Of seven customers, only one appeared Japanese. I started with Hopmasters Cold IPA (7%) followed by a "Maple Banger" Stout from Estonia, 12.5%. Superb!!! Second best beer of the trip!
The toilet in here was out of order! Last visited June 2026. |
Ginza |
| Depot | Hidden somewhere in Tokyo station - Don't ask me where - is this pleasant popular bar offering boring old Sapporo on draft. Very busy at four on a Monday.
Last visited June 2026. |
|
| Hitachino Nest Beer | A tiny bar on the outside of Tokyo station, with about 14 seats inside. I had their Nipponia India Pale. The brewery is called Kiuchi, I'm not sure where Hitachino Nest comes in..
Last visited June 2026. |
|
| Tembo Cafe | A small counter offering food and drink on the 350m floor of the Skytree. I stood at a table looking out over the city and enjoyed a rather fine black beer from a bottle with no western characters on the label.
Last visited June 2026. |
Skytree |
| Yebisu Brewery | A massive high ceilinged space in the brewery complex, offering their regular beers and a couple of limited edition ones. I had Foggy Ale, a pleasant hazy fruity pale one at 6%.
Last visited June 2026. |
|
| Yona Yona Beer Works | This is one branch of a small chain, located at Shimbashi. A pleasant, large by Japanese standards, bar upstairs in a small shopping centre. Unfortunately the two classic handpumps were not in use on my visit - Are they ever? I sampled a frutiy hazy IPA, and then "Beer Craft Saurus Black IPA", not really an IPA, more of a creamy stout, perhaps I got the wrong one. Gorgeous, anyway.
Last visited June 2026. |
Shimbashi |
| Yona Yona Beer Works | A large beautifully decorated basement with about 20 taps, and two handpumps not in use. It was pretty empty at two on a wet Monday afternoon.
The food, bar snacks, chicken, etc etc looks tempting. Last visited June 2026. |
Shinjuku |
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