Sakamichi Brewing

Sakamichi Brewing is a brewery in Tachikawa, and it was founded by two foreigners: Matthew Boyton from the UK and Daniel Bellamy from the US.

They both came to Japan as English conversation teachers, and met through a cycling community. They clicked over their shared love of beer and bikes. Boyton sharpened his brewing skills with two and a half years at Baird Brewing and another six months at Ishikawa Shuzo. Bellamy is an adventurer who spent about two years cycling from Washington all the way to South America.

Their flagship is "Shibasaki Session." It's named after Shibasaki-cho, where the taproom is located, and it's a session IPA. It features a clean malt base with orange-like hop aromas, making it the kind of beer you can keep drinking. Everything is 990 yen per pint, and bringing in your own food is allowed.

Exactly, that's what they encourage. They call themselves "The Tachikawa Brewery" and aim to be a local social hub. They've even brewed special beers to coincide with the summer festival at Suwa Shrine.

They also host a lager-focused event called "Let's Lager!" and opened a second location, Sakamichi North, at the north exit of Tachikawa Station. It has a glass-walled design so you can see the brewery inside, and they're also active in eco-friendly efforts, with plans to use local organic ingredients.