An Afternoon At Yebisu Garden Place

Yebisu Garden Place is one of Ebisu's main tourist attraction;  a neighbourhood in Tokyo that emerged around the first big beer factory of the manufacturer Japan Beer (known today as Sapporo). It is built on the former site of a brewery, where the still existing Yebisu Beer brand had been brewed since 1890.

Its located near Shibuya and Roppongi with Ebisu Station being one stop before Shibuya on the JR Yamanote Line.

The story goes - in 1890 Japan Beer launched a beer that was called Yebisu. The beer from Japan Beer became an instant hit, to the point that the neighbourhood where the main factory of Japan Beer was located became “Ebisu” (modern written form of “Yebisu”). In 1901 Japan Beer built a train station beside the factory and called it “Ebisu” as well.  Japan Beer has since reorganized and was renamed Sapporo Breweries Ltd. And the original factory had to be moved outside of Tokyo in the late 1980′s.

It took us 7 visits to Tokyo to actually find time and energy to visit the place. Anyway, the place might be a little too out of the way for casual visitors just coming to visit, so I guess unless you are into beer history, drinking beer & chillin' out or visiting the nearby Museum of Photography (there was a nude photography exhibition when we were there), this may not be your cup of tea or may be a bit of hassle to go to.

At the train station

Some shots f the buildings there

A posh restaurant in the background - Chateau Restaurant Taillvent-Robuchon

Where were these people heading to? And what were they queuing for?

To get some beer of course! There was a beer festival or something when we were there and the place was packed with people.

Next up: Beer Museum Yebisu. Just because I don't drink beer, doesn't mean I can't visit the museum and check out the history, right? Not to mention buying beer glasses at the Museum's souvenir shop make good and rather affordable souvenirs to your beer drinking buddies.