Miyoshi Becken Beer, Miyoshi-shi

Located roughly thirty minutes from central Hiroshima, Miyoshi Becken-Beer is the only microbrewery in the Miyoshi region of Hiroshima-ken. The establishment, like its name, is a crossroads of Japanese and German culture, being truly neither one nor the other, and very interesting as a result. “Becken” is German for “basin” or “bowl”, a reference to the topography of the region and a nod to the celebrated purity of the area's water. The restaurant itself is supposed to resemble the beer halls of Munich, but is hemmed in on all sides by Japanese peculiarities, making for persistent contrast. Their beers; a Pilsner, Weizen, and Dunkles, hit a lot closer to the mark, and will be well-received by anyone long enough in Japan to forget what craft beer tastes like. They also sell bottles to go. – Brent Katte