River Port Brewery

There’s a brewery in Mino City that was renovated from a washi wholesaler townhouse that’s over 200 years old. It’s River Port Brewery.

The representative, Hideo Fuka, is from Mino City, and his wife, Noriko, is from Yokohama. Noriko is the head brewer, and after training for about three years at Gujo Hachiman Beer, they started their first brew in 2023. They run the brewery together, each handling their own role.

The atmosphere is incredible. The original irori hearth and the clerk’s desk are still there, and it even has a structure called zushi-nikai, like an old hidden second floor. The kura was renovated into a "kura bar," which is where you can drink, and you can taste freshly connected beer from six taps.

The beer is great too. Their slogan is "Not trendy, but delicious beer." They value traditional styles, brew with imported hops and British malt, and use water from the Nagaragawa and Itadorigawa river systems. All of their beers are unfiltered and unpasteurized, so the yeast is alive.

"Mino Bridge Brown Ale" won gold in the English Brown category at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2024. "Iwakage Porter" also won bronze that same year. They also make beers like "Ogurayama Castle IPA," "Hanamikoshi Cream Ale," and "Washi Akari Ale" - all of the names come from Mino’s scenery and culture.

They do. It’s an English-style pale ale made with high-quality fresh hops from Yokote, Akita Prefecture, and it won bronze at the Japan Great Beer Awards 2025. It has a gentle aroma and is easy to drink. They also have a guesthouse on the property called "GRAN BREW INN," so you can stay overnight and enjoy beer at the kura bar - a real luxury.