Nagoya

Nagoya is Japan's third-largest city and the heart of the Chubu region — and its craft beer scene punches well above the city's modest international profile. Clustered around the Sakae entertainment district and the streets near Nagoya Station, a small but serious collection of craft beer bars has taken root, drawing on both the region's local microbreweries and the best of Japan's wider craft brewing movement. Y. Market Brewing, founded in 2014, was one of the pioneers of Nagoya craft beer and remains the city's most recognisable name — with its hazy IPAs and inventive seasonal releases available at the brewery's own taprooms as well as at specialist bars across the city. Alongside Y. Market, venues like Keg Nagoya have made a mark by rotating through 15 or more taps of Japanese craft beers that are otherwise hard to find, creating a genuinely exploratory experience for beer enthusiasts. Whether you're passing through Nagoya on the Shinkansen, spending time in the city for business, or making a dedicated craft beer trip, the Sakae district is the natural starting point — compact enough to bar-hop on foot, with the kind of welcoming, no-fuss atmosphere that Japanese craft beer bars do better than almost anywhere else.