A brewing project turning Tokyo’s neighborhoods into drinkable portraits
Someone turned Tokyo into a beer map. Now the map is complete.
Itabashi-based craft brewery TOKYO ALEWORKS（東京エールワークス）has finished its Tokyo Landmark Series（東京名所シリーズ）, a project that translates neighborhoods into beer. Twelve releases in total, each riffing on a different corner of the city—its history, nightlife, or slightly chaotic personality.
It began with Itabashi Hiil Lager (板橋ヒイルラガー), a crisp German-style pilsner referencing the claim that Tokyo’s first beer was brewed in Itabashi in 1873, when beer was still called “hiiru-shu.”
From there the map spreads out.
Yoyogi Lazy Hazy IPA (代々木レイジーヘイジーIPA) leans soft and hazy, like a slow afternoon in Yoyogi Park.
Ameyoko Pale Ale (アメ横ペールエール) nods to the famously hectic market street in Ueno.
Ikebukuro Night Owl Oatmeal Stout (池袋ナイト・オウル オートミールスタウト) goes darker—appropriate for a district that rarely sleeps.
The final stop is Fly Away Haze (フライ アウェイ ヘイズ). The label shows a wandering, beer-loving samurai who has trekked across Tokyo’s landmarks—then boards a plane in search of the next great drink. A fitting ending for a brewery whose motto is “from Itabashi to the world.”
All twelve beers now exist. But don’t expect them lined up neatly on tap. TOKYO ALEWORKS is a microbrewery, and the lineup rotates constantly. Usually two or three from the series are pouring at any given time.
If you’d rather drink than read labels, head to their two brewpubs:
TOKYO ALEWORKS TAPROOM Itabashi（TOKYO ALEWORKS TAPROOM 板橋本店） and TOKYO ALEWORKS STATION TAPROOM Yurakucho（TOKYO ALEWORKS STATION TAPROOM 有楽町店）.
House beers on tap. Solid American food. English-speaking staff. No translation app required.
Which means every visit comes with a slightly different version of Tokyo in the glass.
TOKYO ALEWORKS
■ https://tokyoaleworks.com
TAPROOM – Itabashi Main Store
■ 1F Itabashi Cask Village, 1-8-4 Itabashi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0004, Japan
STATION TAPROOM – Yurakucho
■ Ecute Edition (under the JR railway tracks)
2-9-7 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan
Tokyo Landmark Series — All 12 Releases
Itabashi Hiil Lager (板橋ヒイルラガー)
Yoyogi Lazy Hazy IPA (代々木レイジーヘイジーIPA)
Ameyoko Pale Ale (アメ横ペールエール)
Center Gai IPA – West Coast IPA (センター街 WC IPA)
T.A.S.T.Y IPA (テイスティー IPA)
Cool Splash Kolsch (クール・スプラッシュ ケルシュ)
Ikebukuro Night Owl Oatmeal Stout (池袋ナイト・オウル オートミールスタウト)
Shimokitazawa Rockin’ Session (下北沢ロッキンセッション)
Roppongi Hazy Nights DDH Double Hazy IPA (六本木 ヘイジー ナイツ DDH ダブル ヘイジー IPA)
Kabukicho Red (歌舞伎町レッド)
Asakusa Mosaic IPA (浅草モザイク IPA)
Fly Away Haze (フライ アウェイ ヘイズ)
👉 For a more playful experience, visit the Unko Museum.
