If you appreciate a good beer then don’t miss a free tour of the Asahi Beer Suita Brewery next time you’re in Osaka.
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It’s well established that a trip to Japan is always a good idea if you’re super into food. But some people don’t realise that Japan can also be a great destination if you take your beer seriously, with opportunities for international visitors to experience Japan’s thriving beer culture. One such opportunity is the Asahi Beer Suita Brewery in Osaka, which provides visitors with free tours through its factory and brewing process.
Read on to learn why you should add this informative and enjoyable brewery tour to your next Osaka trip as you travel with the JR Pass.
Brief Background to the Asahi Beer Suita Brewery
Before we get to the details of the brewery tour, it’s best to first take a look at the history of Asahi Beer and the Osaka Asahi Brewery. Beer first came to Japan in the 17th century through Dutch traders, with the first brewery opening in Japan in 1869. Asahi opened in 1889, originally known as the Osaka Beer Company. It was here in Suita in northern Osaka that they built their first brewery in 1891.
Today Asahi is one of the four main beer producers in the country, alongside Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory. The brand’s flagship beer Asahi Super Dry is sold and drunk around the world and was the first of the many dry beers to come out of Japan when it was released in 1987. While the Asahi Beer Suita Factory is historic, there are now eight breweries across the country and the business owns various brewery businesses around the world.
Asahi Beer Brewery Tour
It’s hard to know what to expect with free tours, but the Asahi Beer Brewery in Suita is sure to delight as an informative and interactive experience. The purpose of the tour is to teach visitors about the brewing process and Asahi beer label.
Tours begin with a presentation that goes through the beer’s history and how it is produced. This includes the opportunity for guests to interact up close with key ingredients like hops and barley so they can understand how they influence the flavour of the beer.
From there it’s off to the observation deck of the factory where it’s possible to see the canning and bottling process in action. Here guests can see just how crucial the role of technology and automation is in the process.
Without a doubt the most popular part of the tour comes at the end of the tour. The final 20 minutes involve guests having the opportunity to taste Asahi’s freshly-brewed beer and snacks, with non-alcoholic drinks also available for those under the legal drinking age or driving. Drinks are only free during the designated and clearly set out time period, but yes you do get free drinks and snacks to wrap up your free tour.
At the end guests exit through the Asahi gift shop, naturally full of Asahi merchandise and memorabilia.
Information for Visiting the Brewery
- The Asahi Suita Brewery is open daily from 9.30am to 3.00pm and is only closed over the New Year holidays and certain other designated holidays.
- Tours of the brewery are free of charge, but it is best to make a reservation in advance by phone to 06-6388-1943 as places are limited.
- Brewery tours take place every 30 minutes and you should generally allow 90 minutes for the experience.
- While the tour is in Japanese, there are written information supplements available in English, Korean, and Chinese.
- The legal drinking age in Japan is 20 years of age.
- If you’re unable to visit the Suita brewery when visiting Japan, you should know that there are other free Asahi brewery tours available at their other factories in Hokkaido, Ibaraki and Hakata.
Visiting the Asahi Beer Brewery with the JR Pass
