Like all the major beer manufacturers, Asahi offers free tours of its breweries facilities. You can find one of these in the north of Nagoya.
The tour hours are between 9:00am–3:00pm but if you want an English tour, you have to come at a specific time because most of the tours during the day are in Japanese. Booking is required in advance, either via the web or phone. Nonetheless, you will always find during the visit signs in English and you can ask for English brochures at the reception desk.
The tour will give you information about the Asahi company itself, the brewery and the basics of brewing. During the tour, you will be taken on a journey that follows the production process itself, including processing ingredients, fermentation, maturation, canning and packaging. Every step is detailed through a small video or signs with information in English.
A tour will last approximately 75 minutes, including 20 minutes of tasting (maximum 3 drinks) at a dedicated bar area, with a large choice of drinks produced by the company available, from beer to fruit juices. After the tasting, you will be able to buy some products at the shop like beers or whisky that can make for nice souvenirs for friends or colleagues.
Know before going
- No food or pets allowed
- Soft-drinks will be provided to designated drivers and visitors under 20 years old.
- The production line does not operate on weekends and holidays (and exceptionally some weekdays) so tours during these days will show you a video to explain the production line. In my opinion, it is better if you can make the tour when the production line is working.
Getting there
By car, the address is 318 Nishigawara-cho, Moriyama-ku, Nagoya, Aichi and parking is available for visitors. By subway, you can reach nearby Shin Moriyama Station by taking the Chuo Line directly from Nagoya Station (approximately 15 minutes).
