In summer it’s not unusual to catch glimpses of bears outside the Sawauchi Ginga Kogen Hotel, located in the secluded pine clad mountains of Iwate Prefecture, northern Honshu. The hotel is a magnet for beer connoisseurs and hungry bears. The former come to visit the Ginga Kogen brewery, which is annexed to the hotel. This is one of the most successful microbreweries in Japan. The bears are attracted by boiled malt, left outside after being used in the brewing process. According to our driver, who whisked us to the hotel by complimentary shuttle van, the mildly intoxicated bears staggering into the forest are a comical sight.
Human guests are attracted to the hotel by the peaceful sub-alpine setting, hot spring baths, freshly brewed beers on tap, superb meals, and brewery tours.
Prior to dining we were given a guided tour. Apparently the site was chosen because of the pure alpine water available and the cool microclimate, which is ideal for conditioning beers. Their beers have no added preservatives or artificial carbonation. Ginga Kogen wheat beers are unfiltered which results in a characteristic pale cloudiness, high vitamin content and a yeasty, hop fruitiness, similar to that of more expensive imported Belgian and German beers. Other styles of beer on offer included an apricot-hued, sweet yet bitter pale ale, and a chocolaty Irish style stout. All were available on tap in the stylishly, cozy dining area, and were well-matched with the excellent western and Japanese buffet menu.
In the evening, we dined on a superb range of dishes including feathery light mushroom, and prawn tempura, beef tongue stewed in beer, gratin, and succulent cabbage rolls stuffed with pork. After dinner we retired to the hotel baths which included an outdoor spa. In winter this is an idyllic spot to soak while snowflakes gently flutter down overhead.
(To get to the hotel from Tokyo take a bullet train from Ueno Station to Morioka which takes 2 hours 21 minutes. Complimentary shuttle busses will take you to the hotel from the station’s west exit in about 40 minutes. Twin rooms which include two meals, and a complimentary beer with dinner, start at 17,600 yen.)
