Kogokan Pamco, Local Beer and Plum-Bath Inn

Kogokan Pamco in Wakasa Town, Fukui. It's a little unusual: this ryokan brews its own beer.

The proprietor, Kazuhiko Tanabe, was born and raised in Wakasa. He took over the inn 'Kogokan,' which his parents had run for nearly 30 years, in 2000. Around that handover, he started trying to brew local beer using Wakasa plums, thinking, 'Alcohol is what connects people to people!'

'Passionate Movement for Communication' is what the initials stand for. It means a place that connects people and nature with passion. It's located on the shore of Lake Suigetsu in the Mikata Five Lakes area, and calls itself a 'no-border inn' that is neither a ryokan nor a hotel.

There are three kinds of beer. The flagship plum beer uses Wakasa's famed Nishida plums; when its fine foam bursts, a gentle plum aroma spreads and you get a refreshing tartness. The brewing water comes from Wakasa's pure springs, and the barley is from Fukui Prefecture, which produces the most in Japan. The Alt has the toasted aroma of barley and a richness like dark beer, while the Kölsch has a dry finish with a subtle tartness and bitterness.

And here's the most interesting part: none of these three beers are bottled or canned. You can only drink them poured from the tap in the inn's restaurant. They've kept that style going for over 20 years.

Mr. Tanabe brews it himself with care and pours it from the tap. Even if you're not staying overnight, you can drop by for a day visit and just have the beer. Tanabe also runs a nature experience program called 'Asobo-ya,' where you can enjoy activities like kayaking and lake cruises to take in the beauty of the Mikata Five Lakes.