Craft beer is booming in Japan, and what better way to get in on the trend than going to the Keyaki Beer Festival in Saitama prefecture (about 30 minutes by train from Shinjuku). The five-day event is dedicated to craft beer, so expect a total of 66 vendors offering a wide variety of brews from ales and lagers and stouts to IPAs and pilsners and more.
Beer by the glass costs around ¥350-¥800 while tasting flights of two to five beers range from ¥600-¥2,500. There’s plenty of pub grub to help you soak up the drinks, such as grilled seafood, edamame, pickles, steak, sausages, pizza, and one of our favourite beer snacks, steamed Hokkaido potatoes served with a wedge of butter.
While entry is free, tickets can be purchased online in advance until September 14. A standard set goes for ¥2,950; it includes five ¥600 vouchers to redeem for food and drinks, plus a ¥200 discount coupon you can use at the gift stall for purchases above ¥1,000. Otherwise, you can get tickets at the door for ¥600 each.
If you’re in a group, we recommend making a table reservation (for up to six people). This will cost you between ¥1,000 and ¥4,300. You can also get exclusive Keyaki Beer Festival glasses (advance, ¥680; on the day, ¥700) to use at the event.