O'zapft is! Yokohama Oktoberfest, the largest of its kind in Japan, started last Friday to great aplomb and will continue daily from now until October 13 (12noon-?pm on weekdays, 11am-9.30pm on weekends). Held at Yokohama's historic Red Brick Warehouse, the event has been running since 2003 to massive popularity. Last year's iteration saw over 130,000 attendees, and if this year's opening day was any indication, the 2025 edition will be just as big. From a wide variety of beer to live music performances, here's what you can expect.
Entry is only ¥500, with both cash and cashless payment options available throughout the venue. The bulk of the action takes place in the aptly named Big Tent, which houses 14 different food and drink stalls serving up a dizzying array of beers, from helles to pilsner to dunkel and everything – and with over 100 varieties of beer, we do mean everything – in between, including even fruit-flavoured beers like snow pear or white peach.
If beer somehow isn't your beverage of choice, other alcoholic and non-alcoholic options abound from highballs and wine to fruit juice and milkshakes. Tables can be reserved online here for ¥1,500 per hour per table on weekdays and ¥2,500 on weekends (entry fee not included).
Time Out tip: Each stall requires a deposit to use its mugs. After you finish your drink, return your mug to get your deposit back. Even though cashless payment methods are accepted for food and drink orders, deposits are cash only. At most stalls you'll need at least ¥1,000 for the deposit, so make sure to have a bit of cash on you when you go.
To one side of the Big Tent is the beer garden area, where you'll find even more vendors, including big names like Munich-based Hacker-Pschorr and Hofbräu-München, plus a smaller stall toward the back offering up Yokohama-brewed beers specially crafted for the event.
The other side of the venue is for outdoor chilling. Not much to it, but it's a nice area if you find the beer garden or Big Tent too crowded.
A great selling point of Yokohama's Oktoberfest is its variety of choice when it comes to beverage sizes. Unlike the half-litre or one-litre options that are usually the default, you're spoiled for choice here. Depending on the stall, sizes can range from a modest 300 mL glass to a massive four-litre tower, depending on how much or how little you want to drink.
Time Out tip: The four-litre tower requires a ¥9,000 deposit, so bring plenty of cash if you want to party hard.
As for the food, it is admittedly of questionable authenticity compared to its German counterpart, but tasty nonetheless. The most abundant menu item is sausage, naturally, which you'll find at practically every stall. Other items include schnitzel and pretzels, plus a wide range of dishes like pasta, seafood or the infamous 'German nachos'. It's a fun hodgepodge of culinary oddities that'll help soak up the booze if nothing else.
One factor that does add to the authenticity of the atmosphere is the live music performance courtesy of Woho & Kalendar Band. The group has been performing for decades, not only in multiple locations throughout Japan but globally, including at Oktoberfests in Germany. So what do they think of Yokohama's version?
'Here is the best,' says Heidi, the singer of the band. 'They really make you feel appreciated here, and you don't get that everywhere.' Her bandmates agree.
On weekdays, the band performs at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and 8pm; on weekends they're on at 12noon, 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 7.30pm. You'll hear traditional Bavarian songs, plus the obligatory Chicken Dance and other Oktoberfest classics. The energy goes through the roof when they're on stage, so you'll want to stick around to see their performance.
Here's our verdict: If you're a stickler for authenticity and expect Yokohama Oktoberfest to be a carbon copy of what you might find in Germany, then this event probably isn't going to be your cup of tea – or rather, your litre of beer. But if you want a fun, high-energy atmosphere with more varieties of beer than you can shake a stick at, this is certainly the place for you – just remember to drink responsibly. Prost!
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