In the hot summer sun of August, what sounds better than the cool condensation dripping from the amber glass of craft beers at the Tsukuba Beer Festival? The Tsukuba Beer Festival holds its thirteenth annual celebration this year from August 1-3, with craft breweries from all over Japan attending! Starting in 2012, the Festival has grown throughout the years, now including more than 40 breweries! The Tsukuba Craft Beer Festival is the perfect destination for any beer lover, or simply those who just want to relax and listen to some good tunes while exploring different cultures and enjoying good food and drinks. So let’s have a deeper look at this amazing craft beer festival!
Vendor Pouring Drinks from a Tap – Photo Credits: Tsukuba Craft Beer Festival
When and Where?
The Tsukuba Beer Festival takes place between August 1-3 in the Tsubuka Center Square. This versatile outdoor space will be hosting live music, cold drinks, and more! The hours of operation for the festival are:
- Friday, August 1st, 15:00 – 22:00
- Saturday, August 2nd, 11:00 – 22:00
- Sunday, August 3rd, 11:00 – 18:00
JR Train line taking off from Shibuya Station – Photo Credits: Eileen Gao
How to Get to the Tsukuba Beer Festival
This year, the festival will be held at 1-10-1 Azuma, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, 305-003. If you’re relying on public transit to get to the festival, here are some routes from common stations:
- From Shibuya Station: Take the Hanzomon Line from Shibuya Station, ride 13 stops until Kitasenju Station, then get on the Tsukuba Express to Tsukuba Station, and walk to Tsukuba Center Square
- From Tokyo Station: Take the Joban Line from Tokyo Station, ride 4 stops to Minami-Senju Station, get on the Tsukuba Express to Tsukuba Station, and walk to Tsukuba Center Square
DJ performing at Tsukuba Craft Beer Festival 2024 – Photo Credits: Tsukuba Craft Beer Festival
Why You Can’t Miss It
With more than 40 different breweries participating this year, ranging from German-style beers to Japanese breweries formed in 1823, the Tsukuba Beer Festival has it all! Don’t drink? No problem! The Tsukuba Beer Festival also features food vendors, as well as local artisans showcasing their crafts. Not only that, the Festival also features live music from all across Japan! This year, the live music lineup includes performers who participated last year, and so much more.
Photo Credit: Beer Girl
As mentioned previously, this year, the festival is expecting over 40 different brewers. With so many great breweries, there is no chance you won’t find a drink suited to you this year. Some of the breweries participating in the Tsukuba Beer Festival this year of note are:
- Twin Peaks Mountain Brewing: Hailing from Tsukuba, this truly local brewery was formed in 2002 by German brewers. Strictly following German beer-purity guidelines, this brewery specializes in–you guessed it–German-style beers. Looking for something different? Not to worry! Twin Peaks Brewing Company also produces seasonal and fruit-based beers!
- Garcia Brewing: In the late 1990s, Jean, later joined by his brother Freddie, immigrated to Japan from Peru to pursue a new life. In 2007, Freddie returned to Peru to learn brewing techniques after coming across craft beers in Japan, and the brothers opened a beer bar in 2016, later converting it into a brewery. This brewing company specializes in Peruvian-style beer and happoshu, a kind of fruit beer.
- Hitachino Brewing: By far the oldest brewery on this list, Hitachino Brewing Company was formed in 1823 and, up until recently, produced exclusively Sake instead of beer. In 1996, Hitachino began producing several different kinds of craft beers, and the rest is history.
You can read more about all of the other breweries on the Tsukuba Craft Beer Festival’s website (the website is in Japanese, but has machine translation available if needed) and find other breweries you’ll want to see at the festival, but here are a few more that might be interesting: Yokohama Beer, Ushiku Brewing, Hopdog Brewing, Iwate Brewery Beer, Honjo Ginza Brewing, Okei Brewery Nippori, North Island Beer, Akita Akura Beer, Fujiyama Hunter’s Beer, and so many more!
The Tsukuba Beer Festival is the perfect event for a hot summer weekend, whether you want to try the different tastes of breweries all around Japan or simply enjoy the lively atmosphere and music. The Tsukuba Beer Festival is the perfect activity for late summer! So, whether you’re looking to escape the summer heat, enjoy the suds, or explore brand new flavors, this is a festival you simply cannot miss! Kanpai!
Festival Details:
Tsukuba Craft Beer Festival Location: Tsukuba Center Square
Website: Tsukuba Craft Beer Festival
Featured Photo Credit: Tsukuba Craft Beer Festival
Ready for more sud-related fun while experiencing beloved bars just like a local? Check out our Umeda Craft Beer & Bar Hopping Tour for a night of good drinks, great people, and hidden gem experiences!
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