Y.Y.G. Brewery & Beer Kitchen

Y.Y.G. Brewery, in other words, Waiwai G Brewery. It's a brewpub that suddenly appears in a residential neighborhood in Yoyogi, even though it's only a 6-minute walk from Shinjuku South Exit. It opened in 2016.

And the owner is interesting too. He's Yubuki Katano, the representative of a construction company, and he started by using the vacant space in his own building because he wanted to create "something that could only be born here."

And the concept is "a craft beer space where working women can unwind after work." The first floor is a brewery with glass walls where you can see the fermentation tanks, and the 7th floor is a beer kitchen with windows on three sides overlooking the Shinjuku nightscape.

The beers are top-notch too. "Farmhouse Ale" won the gold medal in the saison category at the 2021 International Beer Cup. "Shibuya IPA" uses six kinds of hops and has a citrus character like grapefruit, making it a signature beer. And "Life Gose On" is a gutsy salty gose made with fennel, caraway, and coriander.

Since opening, they've made more than 100 recipes. New releases come out every month. The head brewer used to be a company employee and jumped in with zero brewing experience; he switched careers because he wanted to create a community hub through beer.

It's short for "Yoyogi" and the initials of "waiwai gayagaya" meaning bustling chatter. About 20% of their customers come alone, and apparently it has a laid-back, cafe-like feel where you can just drop in.