Beer Bar NORTH ISLAND

Beer Bar NORTH ISLAND is the only directly operated bar of North Island Beer, the Ebetsu brewery that has been one of Hokkaido's most decorated craft producers since 2003. It is on the tenth floor of the Large Country Building just off Tanukikoji, and the location is the point: a glass-walled open floor looking out over Odori Park and the grid of central Sapporo, which is worth timing for sunset.

The brewery was founded by two friends who came back from travelling in Canada convinced Japan needed better beer. They started with a stone-warehouse brewpub on the city's outskirts running a brew-on-premises operation, then moved production to Ebetsu — a wheat-farming town east of Sapporo — where the scale and consistency of the beer improved sharply. North Island is best known for its Coriander Black, a spiced dark ale that has become something of a Hokkaido signature.

The bar opened at this address in autumn 2018, replacing a fifteen-seat room in the Sosei-gawa East district. Interior walls are built from Ebetsu brick, a nod to where the beer comes from. Five core beers pour year-round — Pilsner, Weizen, Brown Ale, Coriander Black and IPA — with seasonals and bar-exclusive brews taking the count up to twelve taps. The kitchen leans Hokkaido: fish and chips with local fish, thick-cut jingisukan lamb.

Note the Thursday closure, which the brewery lists on its own site but several third-party directories miss. Entry to the building is on the west side. All seating is non-smoking.

Opening Hours
Mon–Wed, Fri–Sat: 5:30pm–11:30pm
Sunday & public holidays: 3pm–10pm
Closed Thursdays