Craft Beer Tourism in Japan - Kampai! Brewing(CRAFT BEER GRANZOO), Tokyo

2026-03-10 2026-03-08

user

The Kanda River, which originates from Inokashira Park near Kichijoji Station, flows across the 23 wards of Tokyo. Even in the heart of the city, its banks are lush with trees in various spots, creating a verdant atmosphere. I believe one of the most prominent examples of this is the area flowing along the border of Bunkyo and Shinjuku wards. Kanpai! Brewing, which I visited this time, is a brewery tucked away like a hidden retreat along the Kanda River in Bunkyo Ward, surrounded by an environment that makes it hard to believe you are still within the 23 wards.

Kanpai! Brewing (CRAFT BEER GRANZOO)
Address: 1-28-12 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

By public transport, it is located almost exactly in the middle of Waseda Station (Toden Arakawa Line), Waseda Station (Tozai Line), and Edogawabashi Station (Yurakucho Line). It is about a 10-minute walk from any of them. On this occasion, I headed there from Waseda Station on the Tozai Line.

After coming out to street level from Exit 3 of Waseda Station, I headed north with Waseda Junior & Senior High School in sight and crossed Waseda-dori toward the north. Being near the university, I got the impression that there are many restaurants and shops. Next, I crossed the large Shin-Mejiro-dori Avenue; once you step further toward the Kanda River from this avenue, the atmosphere becomes significantly quieter. There were buildings that looked like corporate offices, though this quietness might have been partly due to the fact that I visited on a weekend evening.

The brewery I was looking for is right in front of the Kanda River, just across the road. Its wood-grained exterior stands out even in the dark. Seeing the silver brewing tanks through the large windows on the second floor increased my excitement even before entering. Being in a residential area, the shop doesn’t give off a glaringly bright light; rather, it has a presence that blends naturally into its surroundings.

Beside the entrance, the words "CRAFT BEER GRANZOO" are written in large letters. This is the brewpub directly connected to Kanpai! Brewing. Since I visited alone that day, I was seated at the counter right inside the entrance. Opening the menu, the food selection appeared to be quite substantial. I felt the establishment's dedication as a restaurant when the appetizer arrived: cashew nuts still in their shells, served with a tool to crack them!

And then, the beer. The craft beers from Kanpai! Brewing are named after slopes (saka) located in Bunkyo Ward and the surrounding areas near the brewery, such as Natsume-zaka and Mejiro-zaka.