Sapporo Beer Museum

Sapporo, Japan

The Sapporo Beer Museum is registered as one of the Hokkaidō Heritage sites in 2004, the museum is the only beer museum in Japan. The red-brick building was erected originally as a factory of the Sapporo Sugar Company in 1890, and later opened as a museum in July 1987. The building also houses the Sapporo Beer Garden in the south wing.

The history of the Sapporo Beer Museum dates back to Meiji period, when William Smith Clark, who visited Hokkaidō as an O-yatoi gaikokujin, started beer production, and the Hokkaidō Kaitaku-shi, the former government of Hokkaidō, established a number of breweries in Sapporo. William Clark was a president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, which had one of the best techniques of beet production in the United States at that time, and he hoped to establish the beet cultivation in Hokkaidō during his stay. After Clark went back to the United States, the Kaitaku-shi began beet production in Nanae Village, where is currently a part of Hakodate. This was the first beet cultivation in Hokkaidō.

In 1878, the Kaitaku-shi delegated beet cultivation to the Sapporo Agricultural College, the predecessor of the Hokkaidō University, and a Monbetsu Sugar Factory was built in 1879, where currently Date is located. The sugar factory was disposed to the private, and in 1888, the Sapporo Sugar Company was established with a sugar manufacturing factory in Naebo Village, which would have been Naebo area in Higashi-ku, Sapporo. The company was established as a manufacturer of beet sugar, and asked foreign engineers for advice. The factory building of the Sapporo Sugar Company later became the Sapporo Beer Museum and the Sapporo Beer Garden. The construction of the building was supervised by the government of Hokkaidō, and a Germany-based company the Sangerhausen.

While the sugar manufacturing building was constructed, the Kaitaku-shi Brewery was established on September 23, 1876, in the place where now the Sapporo Factory is located. It was built by the government official Murahashi Hisanari. The chief engineer of the brewery was Seibei Nakagawa, who learned brewing technique in Germany. The inauguration was held at the brewery, and beer barrels were piled up in front of the building. These barrels were restored, and currently located in the area of the Sapporo Beer Museum.

The Kaitaku-shi Brewery was disposed, and the Sapporo Beer Company was established in December 1887, which later became the Sapporo Brewery. Due to the popularization of Taiwanese sugar manufacturers after the end of First Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Japanese sugar manufacture declined, causing liquidation of the beet manufacturing factory run by the Sapporo Sugar Company. In 1903, the Sapporo Beer Company purchased and remodeled the factory to use as a brewery.

The factory was operated until 1965, and the Kaitaku-shi Beer Memorial Hall was constructed at the third floor of the building in 1967, which exhibited a number of historical records, tools, and documents practically used in the factory. After the renovation of the building, the Sapporo Beer Museum was officially opened to the public in July 1987. After the function of the factory as a brewery transferred to Eniwa, the building was renovated again and renewedly opened in December 2004.

In 1996, the Agency for Cultural Affairs proposed to register the Sapporo Beer Museum as one of the Important Cultural Properties of Japan. The museum side, however, declined the proposal. This was mainly because if it was registered, the permission of the government would be required to remodel the building each time, which was thought to be inconvenient by the museum. The museum was registered as one of the Hokkaidō Heritage sites on October 22, 2004.

Overview

The Sapporo Beer Museum has three floors, and is free to enter. A museum tour is available. The panels displaying the history of people involved in beer industry and the Sapporo Brewery Inc. are exhibited. Other exhibited items include beer bottles, signs, posters, miniatures of the building, and instruments for brewing beer. Some of them were actually used in the brewery before World War II.

Since some products of the DaiNippon Beer Company, a predecessor of the Sapporo Brewery, were also housed in the museum, materials related to the Yebisu Beer are exhibited as well as the Sapporo Beer ones. A museum bar is located on the second floor, and visitors can try alcohol products of the Sapporo Beer. The first floor has a restaurant called 'Star Hall', and a museum shop. The Sapporo Garden Park also houses the Ario Sapporo, a shopping mall, and the Sapporo Beer Garden, which is connected to the museum.

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Address

Sapporo, Japan
See all sites in Sapporo

Details

Founded: 1890
Category: Museums in Japan

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Al L. (2 months ago)
Only in japan. Every place is worth a visit. Because of the way they preserve their culture and tradition. Their ability to make every little thing eye-catching and attract your attention. Every tourist attraction gives you a unique impression of how people live in the past to the present. Like this place, even if it's small but the impact will remain in your mind a great impression. The entrance is free. But once inside, they offer a premium tour (paid guided tour). But because I am not a beer drinker and we have another itinerary for that day. So just buy some souvenirs and gone...
Nok Davis (2 months ago)
Sapporo Brewery is a great visit, even if you don’t drink. The museum does a solid job of showcasing the history of Hokkaido and the old brick buildings add to the atmosphere. The vintage ads and exhibits are interesting, and the guided tours give extra insight. If you do drink, the tasting options are a bonus, but even without that, it’s a cool spot to learn about Japan’s beer culture.
Bobby Bevilacqua (2 months ago)
A really fun visit even if you aren't a big beer drinker. The museum is free admission, and you can learn a lot about the history of beer in Japan as well as the history of the Sapporo Brewery, which is the oldest one in Japan. There are English placards next to each exhibit so it was very easy to navigate the museum even if you don't know Japanese. There is an option for a paid tasting after you go through the museum, which I definitely recommend. And the gift shop has some nice souvenir options as well. One piece of advice - if you are planning on eating at any of the Sapporo restaurants near the museum, MAKE A RESERVATION. My wife and I did not, and it was a 90 minute wait for the first available seat. I am not knocking any points for that, just an observation to note if you are planning on going to one of them.
Adrian (3 months ago)
The Sapporo Beer Museum is a must-visit when in Sapporo. The free exhibit is informative and provides great insights into the brewery’s history, but I highly recommend taking the paid tour for a more immersive experience. Not only do you get a deeper understanding of the brewery’s heritage, but you also get to sample exclusive beers that aren’t available elsewhere. The souvenir shop, though small, offers some unique and interesting items to bring home. To complete the experience, I suggest dining at the Beer Garden afterward — it’s the perfect way to enjoy a meal paired with their iconic beer. A fantastic spot for beer enthusiasts and history buffs alike!
Ayçin (3 months ago)
You can learn so much about how this famous Japanese beer brand started its business. There are guided tours with a fee and non-guided tours for free. For the guided tours you need to book in advance. Otherwise it might be sold out very quickly. We couldn’t find any guided tours so we just went around by ourselves which was also pretty fun and teaching. By the end of the tour, you can have some good Sapporo beers, snacks, and souvenirs.
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