One hundred taps of Japanese craft beer in the sumo district of Ryogoku, which sounds like a fever dream but operates with the organizational precision that Japan applies to everything. The tap list is printed on A3 paper and reads like an atlas of Japanese brewing — IPAs from Hokkaido, wheat beers from Okinawa, imperial stouts from Osaka, and experimental one-offs from brewery startups you will never encounter again. The room is large by Tokyo bar standards, the food menu is designed to pair with beer (the smoked sausages and cheese plates are excellent), and the crowd is a mix of local beer obsessives and international pilgrims who have heard that this is the place. It is the place.
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Insider Intel
A tasting flight is the only rational starting point — the staff will build one based on your preferences. The Baird Brewery Rising Sun Pale Ale is a reliable anchor if available. Hitachino Nest White Ale for the Belgian-Japanese fusion. Ask for the strongest beer on tap and the lightest, and drink them side by side to understand the range. The daily specials board usually features the most interesting recent additions.
Late afternoon from 4pm on a weekday to have the bartender's attention and the fullest tap list. By evening the crowd builds and the most popular kegs start kicking. Weekend afternoons are popular with the beer-tourist circuit. The happy hour (if running) offers discounted tasting flights.
Ryogoku is the sumo district — the Kokugikan sumo arena is nearby, and during tournament months (January, May, September) the neighborhood fills with chanko-nabe restaurants and sumo-adjacent energy. Popeye is a 5-minute walk from Ryogoku Station (JR Sobu Line). The bar is large enough that walk-ins usually work. Tasting flights and half-pours are available, which is essential given the tap count. Beer 600-1,200 yen per glass. Cash and cards accepted. English menu available.