Sapporo Beer Hokkaido Brewery
Sapporo Beer is one of Japan’s most famous and popular beers, and travelers to the city of Sapporo can take free tours of the brewery. As well as enjoying beer samples and learning about beer production, visitors can visit the on-site Valhalla Restaurant, play a round of golf at the golf course, and stroll through the Biotope park.
The basics
Japanese beer production originated in Sapporo, partly because the cooler climate here is ideal for growing the ingredients needed to make beer. Learn all about beer making in general, and Sapporo Beer making in particular, during a guided tour of the brewery. Tours last for around 60 minutes and include two free samples (designated drivers, underage visitors, and pregnant people will receive soft drinks instead). Many travelers visit this brewery independently but it can also be included on customized sightseeing tours of the Sapporo area.
Things to know before you go
- Tours of the factory must be booked in advance.
- Note that the Sapporo Beer Brewery and the Sapporo Beer Museum are not the same, and are in different locations.
- The legal drinking age in Japan is 20 years old; only visitors aged 20 or above will be allowed to sample beer here.
How to get there
The factory is about 50 minutes’ drive outside Sapporo, in Chitose, on Highway Route 36. Unless you’re self-driving, the most convenient way of getting there is by train. From Sapporo city, take the JR Chitose Line train to Sapporo-Beer-Teien station.
Trip ideas
When to get there
Tours of the Sapporo Beer Brewery are offered year-round and run several times a day, in the morning and afternoon. The museum is closed on Mondays, unless a public holiday falls on a Monday, in which case it will be closed the next day.
Chitosetsuru Sake Museum
To learn about a different kind of Sapporo-produced alcoholic beverage, visit the Chitosetsuru Sake Museum. The pure water sources available in Sapporo have made conditions here ideal for the production of various beverages throughout the centuries. The Chitosetsuru Sake Museum is run by the first sake brewery in Sapporo, Chitosetsuru. As well as sampling sake here, visitors can taste sake-flavored ice cream.
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- Chitose River (Chitose Gawa)
- Nopporo Forest Park (Nopporo Shinrin Koen)
- Tomakomai
- Lake Shikotsu (Shikotsuko)
- Mt. Tarumae (Tarumae-zan)
- Toyohira River
- Mt. Moiwa (Moiwa-yama)
- Sapporo TV Tower
- Odori Park (Odori Koen)
- Susukino
- Asahiyama Memorial Park (Asahiyama Kinen Koen)
- Maruyama Park (Maruyama Koen)
- Mt. Okura Observatory
- Shiroi Koibito Park
- Jozankei