Craft Beer Tourism in Japan - Yatsugatake Brewery, Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture
userKiyosato is a place where your image of the town likely depends on which generation you belong to. Some picture it as a ski destination, while others remember its heyday as a bustling resort town. Even today, as you stand near Kiyosato Station, you’ll see vacant pensions and lodgings that evoke that former resort era. It’s hard to deny the slight sense of loneliness that clings to these buildings.
On the other hand, the area’s location—surrounded by lush, beautiful mountains with views of the Japanese Alps—is a timeless natural treasure. Standing at Seisen-ryo, a symbolic landmark of Kiyosato since the old days, and gazing at Mt. Fuji, you realize that this scenery is a universal attraction.
About a 10-minute walk from Kiyosato Station lies Moegi no Mura. This commercial complex has been in business since the Showa era and remains a prominent sightseeing spot today. Inside is Restaurant ROCK, which houses Yatsugatake Brewery in its basement. Here, you can enjoy their original craft beer, "Yatsugatake Beer TOUCHDOWN."
Yatsugatake Brewery
Address: 3545 Kiyosato, Takane-cho, Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture
From the outside, it looks like a large restaurant. However, as soon as you step inside, you are greeted by beer tanks and a large brewing kettle to the left. Since casual tourists might not know what a brewing kettle looks like, placing it prominently at the entrance as the restaurant's "face" definitely gets beer lovers excited.
Opposite the brewing kettle is a shop area stocked with a wide lineup of Yatsugatake Beer. The interior of the restaurant itself is fairly standard, but the "ROCK" theme is clear: a band set is perched above the counter in view of almost every seat, and portraits of the Beatles adorn the pillars. On the day of my visit, Bon Jovi was playing over the speakers, and I even spotted a staff member with a pompadour hairstyle.
As is often the case, I was driving that day, so I couldn't have a beer. As I watched large glasses of beer being delivered to other tables, I found myself wondering: do these people know they are in a restaurant that serves house-brewed craft beer? At the counter, I saw the taps, coasters, and the "TOUCHDOWN" sign representing the Yatsugatake Brewery brand.
Craft Beer Tourism Starting from Yatsugatake Brewery in Hokuto City, Yamanashi
Hokuto City is home to other notable breweries like UCHU BREWING and Mangosteen Brewing Lab (Manchin Brewery).
- UCHU BREWING is located just off the Kobuchisawa Interchange (two exits toward Nagano on the Chuo Expressway), inside the "Michi-no-Eki" Kobuchisawa. It’s about a 30-minute drive from Yatsugatake Brewery.
- Mangosteen Brewing Lab is located at the southern end of Hokuto City, about 5 minutes by car from the Sutama Interchange and 30 minutes from Yatsugatake Brewery.
Breweries are dotted throughout Yamanashi Prefecture. If you head back toward Tokyo on the Chuo Expressway, you’ll find Outsider Brewing’s brewpub, Hops And Herbs, in Kofu City (about 30 minutes away, though it has no parking as it's in a shopping district). IWAI BREWERY in Koshu City is also reachable in about 40 minutes by car.
