Sendai’s Beer Culture
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Japan or Tohoku and alcohol is probably sake, but there are in fact many breweries in Sendai and its suburbs, too.
This article introduces three breweries in and around Sendai.Each brewery offers tours, tastings, and various products that you can buy, so we hope you get to enjoy some freshly brewed beers while you’re here.
Brewery 1: Kirin Beer Sendai Brewery
Kirin Beer Sendai Brewery began operating in 1923, and is the oldest brewery in the Tohoku region.
This brewery offers the “Kirin Ichiban Shibori Oisisa Jikkan Tour” during which you will get to see the processes of the brewery.
Enjoy experiences that you will only get to try here, such as comparing the taste of “Ichiban Shibori”, and tasting three types of beers created at the Sendai Brewery.
| Address | 2-2-1 Minato, Miyagino-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi-ken |
| Fee | 500 yen |
| Brewery tours | 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Mondays |
| Access | Approx. 15 minutes by free shuttle bus from Tagajo Station on the JR Senseki Line Pre-booking is required to join the tour. |
| HP | https://kirinfactory.my.salesforce-sites.com/WebCalender?p=S#_ga=2.229106591.2082004926.1700448886-631694693.1699330223 |
Brewery 2: BATSUJI BREWING
BATSUJI BREWING is a craft brewery that opened in 2021 in Sendai.
The brewery is located inside a modern building in the center of Sendai where office buildings line the street. Every day, fans of the brewery come to drink craft beers that they can only find here.
As well as freshly brewed craft beer, you can also enjoy meals and snacks made with Miyagi Prefecture ingredients in the restaurant next door.
The brewery is conveniently located, so we recommend stopping by while out sightseeing or shopping.
| Address | 1-30-1F Omachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi-ken |
| Opening hours | Mon – Sat 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.（last orders 9:00 p.m.） Sundays and holidays 11:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.（last orders 7:00 p.m.） |
| Craft beer | From 800 yen |
| Closed | Irregular days |
| HP | https://batsuji-brewing.com/ |
Brewery 3: Yuriage Brewery
A microbrewery that first began operating in 1997 in Arahama, Watari Town, Miyagi Prefecture.
Despite losing everything in the Great East Japan Earthquake, they reestablished themselves in March 2020 as the Miyagi Yuriage Brewery in Yuriage District, Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture.
The brewery uses local Yuriage water to produce beers such as pilsner, weizen and lager based on a recipe they learned from a Czech brewer, as well a fruit beers made from the juices of grapes, apples and strawberries.
This is a robust brewery that has grown together with the community as part of their recovery effort.
| Address | 2-12-2 Yuriage Higashi, Natori-shi, Miyagi-ken |
| Opening hours | 9:30 a.m.– 3:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Weekends, year-end and New Year’s period |
| HP | https://miyagimicrobrewery.wixsite.com/home |