Suntory Brewery Tour and Drink

The Suntory brewery in Fuchu (a suburb of Tokyo) operates free tours to explain the technique and knowledge that goes into creating their famous beers, including the well-known brand Premium Malts. The factory is easily accessible by train and accepts both adults and children for their tours; however, at the tasting time only adults may try the beer and the youngsters can have soft drinks made by Suntory. They need advance notice for two or more visitors, so you would have to call and book a tour ahead of time. (Solo visitors may be able to join an existing tour but it's always advisable to book in advance.) The tour takes about an hour, and you will receive a device through which you can listen to the English version of whatever you're watching at any given time. The tour guide will explain everything in Japanese and at the tasting time, she will show you how to pour the beer the Suntory way, which guarantees a 7:3 ration of beer to foam in your glass. At the end of the tour, you are encouraged to purchase some souvenirs from the gift shop. The tour is a lot of fun and very educational and of course, you can't beat the chance to drink up to three glasses of beer at the end.