Sapporo Beer Museum

Unlike your regular museum of science or art, the Sapporo Beer Museum takes you on a delicious journey of beer that’s brewed from pure Hokkaido waters. Made in the city of Sapporo since 1877, the beer’s namesake, Sapporo beer is the oldest in Japan and remains one of the most popular today.

Formerly a brewery during the Meiji Period, the Sapporo Beer Museum opened up its doors in 1987 to educate its visitors about the history and production process of beer. A short distance away, the Sapporo Factory mall complex was constructed on the original site of Japan’s first brewery, with a small beer hall held within.

While the museum itself offers a selection of tastings directly shipped in from the main breweries, the Sapporo Beer Garden next door is where the real action happens. Several lively beer halls bubble with atmosphere as glasses clink and beer flows, and a number of restaurants offer all-you-can-drink options and all-you-can-eat menus. They feature local seafood and lamb barbeque, one of Hokkaido’s local specialty dishes, which is called “jingisukan” in Japanese.