Yokohama Kirin Beer Factory Tour 2026: Is It Worth It?

During our trip to Tokyo, we had been exploring various spots within the city. Then, my friends mentioned that we could visit the Kirin Beer Factory in Yokohama, a Tokyo suburb, and even enjoy a tasting session! Hearing this, my friend and I applied for a tour of the Kirin Draft Beer Factory in Yokohama, Japan, and had an amazing time.

Here's a quick rundown of the Yokohama Kirin Beer Factory tour!

✅ You can pick your preferred tour start time directly on the reservation website.

✅ The tour itself lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes

(that's 1 hour for the tour and a delightful 30 minutes for tasting!).

✅ And for the most important part: the tour fee is just 500 yen per person!

✅ You can enjoy up to 3 glasses during the tasting session.

Just a heads-up: if you have a specific date and time in mind for your experience,

I highly recommend booking at least 1 to 2 weeks in advance!

(Weekends tend to get fully booked super fast!)

Kirin Beer Factory Reservation Site

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Even if you're basing yourself in Tokyo, getting to Yokohama is a breeze – it's just about an hour away by subway!

While you're at it, why not make a full day of it and explore Yokohama as well? It's definitely worth adding to your itinerary!

If you're kicking off your journey from Tokyo Station, you can hop on the 'Keihin-Tohoku Line' and get there directly with no transfers! However, if you're starting from bustling Shinjuku or Shibuya, you'll likely need to make one quick transfer.

When heading to the Kirin Beer Factory in Yokohama from Tokyo, you'll want to get off at either Shinkoyasu Station or Namamugi Station. From there, it's just about a 15-minute scenic walk!

The Kirin Beer Factory in Yokohama is tucked away in a peaceful suburban area. The walk there is quite calm and pleasant, passing through a tranquil neighborhood with hardly any crowds – a nice change of pace!

After a pleasant 15-minute walk from the station, you'll spot the Kirin Beer Factory sign, and soon enough, the impressive factory building will come into view!

It might appear to be tucked away under a bridge, so keep an eye out! But don't worry, you'll easily spot the iconic red Kirin Beer logo guiding your way.

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When I visited with my friends, time was incredibly tight,

so we had to rush and couldn't take many photos.

It's always a bit of a challenge to get to factory tours right on time.

It was just as tight when I visited the Asahi Beer Factory!

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Once you arrive at the Yokohama Kirin Beer Factory,

just tell the counter staff the booking number you received from the website,

and they'll give you an entry wristband and detailed instructions to purchase a 500 yen entry ticket

at the kiosk.

After purchasing our Kirin Beer Factory entry tickets,

we were immediately given our entry wristbands.

The red wristbands are for those participating in the tasting,

while other colors are for visitors who are only doing the tour without tasting.

That's how they differentiate and manage the visitors.

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After getting our wristbands, luckily we had about 10 minutes to spare.

There was a Kirin Beer-related exhibition in one area,

and many visitors were checking it out, so we joined them to explore the exhibits.

We learned about how beer barley is refined, what types are used,

and even traced the evolution of Kirin Beer from its very beginnings.

It was truly amazing to see so much in just 10 minutes,

and it really made me think about how well-organized Japan's beer tours and exhibitions are.

And from the birth of Kirin Beer right up to the present day,

its story was beautifully illustrated on the Kirin Beer sticker labels.

Most Japanese brewery tours typically kick off

with a video screening in a dedicated theater. I found the content quite informative,

with a lot of valuable information that was definitely worth watching!

At the information desk, they offer a real-time translation service for Korean visitors.

Apparently, if you scan the QR code, it provides live translation!

They also handed out an additional explanatory leaflet.

While the translation wasn't perfect, it was definitely better than having nothing at all!

After watching the presentation in the Kirin Brewery screening room,

we headed to the next station where we could directly experience hops and malt,

the essential ingredients for beer, by smelling and tasting them!

You can actually taste the malt, and smell the hops.

The malt simply has a savory barley flavor, while the hops have that distinctive Kirin beer aroma.

Next up, we headed to the space where we could marvel at the beer tanks!

After a quick video explaining how the beer is refined and aged in those huge tanks,

our guide continued with the detailed explanation.

Honestly, since everything was in Japanese, I was quite busy trying to read the real-time translation

and simultaneously snap photos – it was a bit chaotic!

Next up, we got an incredibly precise look at how beer cans are shaped,

how the beer is filled into them, and even the meticulous washing process.

It was quite the detailed insight!

In fact, if you visit on a weekday rather than the weekend,

you can even see the brewery workers in action!

After watching the beer canning process, we even had the opportunity to taste the wort directly,

though I completely forgot to snap any pictures... oops! (haha).

The wort was available for tasting in individual paper cups,

and you could try both the first and second extractions.

The first extraction was much more aromatic and sweeter.

They explained that Kirin Ichiban only uses the first extraction,

which is why it's called "Kirin Ichiban" (meaning "first" or "number one").

The real reason I came to Kirin Brewery Yokohama, one of Tokyo's must-visit spots!

It's the Kirin beer, where you can enjoy up to three glasses for 500 yen!

Your first glass is the classic Kirin Ichiban.

They also provide a snack called 'Kaki no Tane' with each drink.

This isn't the usual flavor you find in stores;

it's a Kirin Brewery exclusive edition, only sold at the brewery itself.

So you can actually buy it there, which is pretty cool!

I enjoyed a glass of Kirin Ichiban with the friends I visited with.

It truly felt like the freshest Kirin beer you could ever drink,

straight from the brewery!

After a quick taste of the Kirin Ichiban, we got to try

three more glasses of their premium beers!

There were three types of beers in total, and each glass was about 300ml.

Three glasses of Kirin draft beer for only ~$3?!

That's what I call an absolute steal, right?!

I tried them all, from the Premium Kirin Ichiban to the dark stout.

While the Premium Kirin Ichiban was delicious,

the dark stout was definitely my favorite!

Downing one 500ml glass and three 300ml glasses in just 30 minutes,

let me tell you, it's impossible *not* to feel a little tipsy!

(The time slot was a bit tight, so we had to drink rather quickly!)

Finally, after completing our Kirin beer tasting,

we headed straight to the souvenir shop right next door for some awesome mementos!

With everything from diverse Kirin beer merchandise to delicious beer snacks,

there were so many tempting items I wanted to buy!

I ended up purchasing the snack we enjoyed during the beer tasting.

This particular snack is exclusively sold at the Kirin Beer Brewery,

so it's a bit disappointing that you can't find it in regular stores.

But if I ever get to visit again, I'll definitely stock up!

And then there were these adorable Kirin beer bottle openers!

There were so many charming little merchandise items, it was really hard to resist buying them all.

Japan really does excel at selling these delightful, 'kawaii' products, doesn't it?

Once the entire Kirin Beer Brewery tour concludes,

for anyone who hasn't had enough beer or food, it's directly connected to a restaurant

where you can enjoy more if you wish.

If you're a beer enthusiast, or simply enjoy a good brew,

I highly recommend looking up breweries in advance for every region you plan to visit in Japan.

Crafting your travel plans around these tours could be an amazing experience!

A brewery tour is truly a unique experience, and being able to savor fresh beer right there on the spot will definitely make it a memorable highlight of your journey!

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