Miyajima Brewery

Miyajima Brewery is the only beer brewery on Miyajima Island. It’s a 7-minute walk from the ferry pier, along the Omotesando shopping street, and from the rooftop you can get a close-up view of the Five-Story Pagoda.

The founder, Itsuki Arimoto, is the 20th-generation successor of a long-established inn on Miyajima. He once left the island and worked as a salaryman, but in 2010 he launched the beer business with the desire to give something back to his hometown. For the first eight years, though, they brewed under contract, and they only started brewing in-house in 2018.

And the head brewer, Tatsuya Morikawa, has an interesting background too. He originally worked for a company in Aichi selling educational materials for kindergartens and daycare centers. At 27, he quit his job, traveled the world with his wife, and when he visited the Pilsner Urquell brewery in the Czech Republic, one drink straight from the barrel changed his life.

After returning to Japan, he joined Miyajima Brewery, and now he brews using water from the island itself. The brewing water is natural spring water flowing from the virgin forests of Mt. Misen, with just the right amount of minerals for a soft mouthfeel.

Misen DRAGON IPA is a hazy IPA named after the dragon legend of Mt. Misen, with a strong citrusy aroma from hops. MIYAJIMA OYSTER STOUT is made by soaking oysters from Miyajima overnight, shell and all, and adding the shucked meat during the boil as well. They also use smoked malt, so you get a subtle smoky flavor layered with the mineral richness of the oysters.

And the flagship is a red IPA called BEST WISHES. This beer was served to the partners of world leaders at the 2023 G7 Hiroshima Summit. It was a moment when a small island brewery stepped onto the world stage.