First, let’s address the elephant in the room – is it Yebisu or Ebisu? Well, simply put, “Ye” is an archaic character in Japanese that has fallen out of use, so now it’s really “Ebisu.”

The district got its name from the Yebisu Brewery. When the brewery was established in the area, it got its own freight train station, then eventually a passenger station which was dubbed Ebisu Station. Subsequently, the entire district gained the name Ebisu!

The original reason for the brewery’s name was in reference to the god “Yebisu,” with the archaic spelling. Yebisu is known as the god of good business, so it only makes sense to use that name when that’s exactly what you’re looking for!

Over time, Yebisu became Ebisu. And to confuse matters further, Yebisu Brewery eventually became part of Sapporo Beer Co., Ltd., named after a city far north in Hokkaido!

Now, the area is home to some great places to try out beer and bar food, whether it’s the Yebisu brand or not. But it’s also a creative spot with some interesting cultural activities.

Ebisu is a great place for shopping and cultural activities during the day, and exploring the izakaya and beer bars by night! Let’s take a look at some of the best places to visit for a day out in Ebisu.

Ebisu Garden Place started out as Ebisu Beer Garden in 1994, not long after the former brewery that had been in its place had ceased operations. It was built in order to create a relaxed and open space for people to explore and take some time out.

Walking onto the premises, you’ll feel as though you’ve stumbled across a city within a city, as a large, spacious plaza opens up in front of you. On a sunny day, there are people sitting outside and chatting, birds chirping, and trees swaying in the breeze. It feels like a free and easy space to just wander around, or sit down for a pint.

It makes sense that Ebisu Garden Place would put out this kind of atmosphere, as it was created under the concept of a garden city and marketplace combined to make a new style of “town.” It was intended as a place to promote community development and connect people, and they’re not wrong.

Of course, it is under the umbrella of Sapporo Beer Co., Ltd., so there are plenty of beer-related activities, but there is also a variety of other shops, restaurants, events, and facilities. There, you can find home goods stores and bookstores, cafes and restaurants, and even a jazz bar. If you’re looking for a special evening, there is even “Sky Dining” on the 38th and 39th floors, with upmarket restaurants complete with great views of Tokyo down below.

The great thing about Ebisu Garden Place is really the variety of activities, as there is also a cinema, events hall, photography museum and beer museum, so let’s take a closer look at the beer and photography museums.

In 1890, the company now known as Sapporo Beer Co., Ltd. started out with a brewery in Ebisu. Almost a century later, in 1988, the brewery ceased production. But in that time, the company had grown massively, and the Ebisu Brewery had become so iconic that the station and surrounding area came to be known as Ebisu.

For a while, the building was home to the Yebisu Beer Museum until recent years. But now, there are plans to re-open both the museum and the brewery! Needless to say, this is an exciting development, as the Ebisu brewery has not been running for decades now.

The museum is due to open towards the end of 2023 (exact dates TBC), and is set to be the best place to learn about Yebisu Beer and its history, while of course, experiencing Yebisu Beer itself with tastings and ample opportunities to buy some to take home or try while you’re there.

While there are already a number of interesting establishments around Ebisu Garden Place, there will also be a few new spots opening up to experience Yebisu beer, like Taps by Yebisu and the Yebisu Bar Stand.

If you’re in Tokyo and want to see how an iconic Japanese beer made its way to the top, this should be your first point of call as soon as it opens back up!

Yebisu Shrine is a small shrine specific to Ebisu Garden Place. It has such an inconspicuous entrance that if you’re walking down the street, you might just miss it. But in spring it is dotted with cute flowers and plants along its small stone path to greet you.

The shrine was originally erected in Hyogo in 1894, but was moved to Ebisu Garden Place in 1994. It honors the god Yebisu, known as the god of successful business. It seems the god is very pleased with the shrine and their work, given Yebisu Beer’s resounding success throughout Japan!

The shrine is simple, with a torii gate, a small plaque, and a statue. It has a small shrine festival in October, but is worth a visit to understand the importance of Yebisu’s role in Yebisu Beer’s success.

The Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (TOP Museum) first opened to the public in 1995, in pursuit of the fundamental question, “What is photography?” The very nature of photography may mean that the question is never answered, but that’s not the point. The idea of the museum is to keep exploring that question and understanding its new and changing forms.

In its impressive modern and minimalist setting, the TOP Museum houses over 37,000 photographs and other visual media from around Japan and the world. This includes pieces by renowned Japanese photographers like Fujiwara Shinya, Hamaya Hiroshi, and Tomatsu Shomei, as well as works by up-and-coming photographers and creators.

The museum is made up of five floors. Three floors have exhibition galleries, one houses the library, and the entrance floor has the reception, café, and event hall.

Its collection covers everything from global rarities from the dawn of photography to the latest trends, and celebrates diversity of expression with around 20 different special exhibits per year.

The aim of the museum is to popularize the art of photography and give everyone the opportunity to appreciate and study it. To that end, it has various workshops and events which support those creative endeavors. That includes lectures, talks, workshops, guided tours, and of course school programs.

The museum doesn’t stop at still photography, though. There are films shown in the Hall on the first floor, and there is also a photography library filled with books and documents to take your photography studies to the next level (mainly in Japanese).

Of course, the museum also has a café and a shop so that you can take home a small memento of your visit, or book that has piqued your interest.

On an unsuspecting corner of Ebisu 1-Chome, down a set of stairs and behind a heavy steel door, you’ll find IBREW. But don’t let its mysterious location fool you, as what lies behind that door is warm and friendly service reflected by their warm wooden décor and ambient lighting.

IBREW Ebisu was built in 2019 as part of a small chain of IBREW branches. Despite having multiple branches, though, each one is different, and has its own craft beers and food menu.

At the Ebisu branch, there is an astounding 47 taps, each with different domestic and international craft beers that are regularly changed as soon as one runs out. If you visit in the same week, you’ll see that a good portion of the taps have changed. But if your visits are a few weeks apart, other than the house beers, you likely won’t see any of the same beers twice!

IBREW does not brew their own beers, but they do have a collaboration with a brewery that creates the IBREW original house beers. There are three types: The IPA, The Pale Ale, and The Pilsner. These house beers are made to be loved by everyone, and make a great introduction into the world of beer for beginners, hence their simple and easy-to-remember names like “The Pale Ale.”

One of the highlights of IBREW Ebisu is their reasonable price point, with prices as low as 429 yen for a half-pint (tax incl.). Remember, this is for craft beer on tap, not your run-of-the-mill canned stuff. Their most expensive beers cost 1,419 yen for a pint (tax incl.).

If you’re new to the craft beer scene, one of the best ways to get to know the flavors is with their three-beer flight that can be customized.

In my beer flight, I tried (from left to right) a cold IPA from a Hyogo brewery called Open Air, a Hazy IPA from Shizuoka’s West Coast Brewing, and a Porter from Norway’s Nogne. The prices vary depending on the category of beer you try.

The cold IPA was hoppy and light, with citrusy notes. The Hazy IPA was also hoppy but smoother and more fruity, and the Porter had espresso and chocolate notes.

Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a beer bar without food to accompany it all, though.

The food menu involves a lot of international dishes and flavors, and overall is well-seasoned and goes perfectly with the craft beer. Although some of their dishes are changed out seasonally, there are a few that stick around. So I chose to try one of their mainstays, the Basic Plate (1,099 yen incl. tax).

The Basic Plate could work as a small sharing platter alongside some of their other tapas items, or could be a light meal for one. It contained beef, swordfish, falafel, mashed potato, and marinated red cabbage.

Everything was delicious and flavorful. The swordfish was meaty and perfectly seasoned, the roast beef was tender, and the mash had a mustardy accent. But my definite favorite was the falafel, which was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a hint of spice.

For the single plates, their food menu even guides you on what it could pair with!

Overall, IBREW Ebisu is a great place to go for a pint and a fun evening. It has great atmosphere, great food, and an insane selection of craft beers so you’ll never get bored.

The owner, Mr. Shibuya, left me with these warm words:
“I want people to visit and have a good time trying out the different types of beer. It may seem a little daunting, but everyone is friendly and the staff are easy to talk to. We hope to see you soon.”

Walking into Yebisu Beer Hall, you’ll be greeted by beer posters plastering the walls of the staircase that leads you to a German-inspired, high-ceilinged beer hall.

It is run by the same group that oversees Ebisu Garden Place, Sapporo Holdings Limited.
Naturally, that means their main focus is the variety of Japan-made beers on offer, as well as their food made especially to go with that beer. They also have other Sapporo Beer drinks such as their very own wine selection.

All the beers here are Japanese, and are served the Japanese way. This is something that the beer hall wants to highlight, as it means you can come and try real Japanese draught beer.

Unsurprisingly, Yebisu Beer is their recommendation. There are a few different types: Yebisu Beer, Yebisu Premium Black, Yebisu & Yebisu (half and half), and Kohaku Yebisu Premium Amber. Each of their beers is rich and flavorful with a delightful aroma.

For beer beginners, they recommend the Sapporo Draft Beer “Sapporo Premium” (Sapporo Kuro Raberu), as it is light, refreshing, and easy to drink.

One of the highlights of the beer hall is that there are bar counter seats to see your beer being poured straight from the tap. You can watch as the skilled staff pour your brew and then carefully top it with an exact amount of foam for that signature Yebisu Beer look.

As for the food, they have a classic menu designed to go well with their beer options.

Here, their grilled and meat dishes are their specialty, with a variety of chicken, lamb, and sausage options on offer. There are course menus for parties or large groups, and smaller a-la-carte options for something light to accompany a pint.

Two of their most popular menu items are the Lamb Tagliata (ラムヒレ肉のタリアータ, 1,738 yen tax incl.) and the Smoked Mackerel Potato Salad (鯖の燻製ポテトサラダ, 748 yen tax incl.).

The lamb was tender and mild on its own, but really popped when paired with its raisin balsamic sauce which gave it an acidic accent.

The potato salad had a definite seafood flavor that gave it a salty, umami punch that you don’t get with regular potato salad.

Both dishes were great on their own, but were made even better alongside a glass of Premium Yebisu. The potato salad in particular brought out a certain light sweetness to the beer. They’re not wrong when they say the menu was made for their beer!

Overall, Yebisu Beer Hall is a great place to go to experience classic Japanese beer in the way it was intended, alongside nods to some of the Germanic origins of Japanese beer, such as in the food and even in the staff’s uniforms. It’s a good place to go for a group evening, or to sit at the counter and try out Japanese beer on a solo trip.

Although Ebisu has long upheld its name as one of the beer hotspots of Tokyo, there are also fun side streets and shops to explore in the area.

On exiting the platform at the JR train station, you’ll find yourself immediately in a large shopping mall called Atré, that has a huge variety of shops and restaurants without even leaving the building.

There is also Ebisu Yokocho, a charming little hub made up of local izakaya (Japanese style pubs). Although “Yokocho” in Japanese usually refers to side streets, it also holds the implication of tasty and cheap places to eat and drink, and at Ebisu Yokocho those places are all under one roof. You can find the entrance to Ebisu Yokocho about 100m from the station, and it has a mini map outside (in Japanese) listing all the spots held within.

There are various interesting eateries dispersed around Ebisu Yokocho as well, like the well-known Afuri Ramen just opposite its entrance. In 2023 they’re celebrating their 19th year of business, which is quite the feat for a local ramen spot, so you know they must be good!

When it comes to finding a place to stay in Ebisu, visitors can choose from a range of options, including luxury hotels and stylish rentals. With convenient access to public transportation, staying in Ebisu is a great choice for travelers looking to explore Tokyo's attractions while enjoying a lively and sophisticated neighborhood.

Here we’ve got to know the basics about Ebisu and why it’s worth visiting, with its interesting culture and fun beer spots. But of course there’s always more to explore, so we hope this will serve as a good jumping off point for a day out in Ebisu so you can see all its best bits!