As a dining destination, Yokohama has always been overshadowed by Tokyo. When visitors do make the short trip down the coast, few bother to look past the city’s waterfront cafes, the crowded alleys and eateries of Chinatown or the kitsch lure of the Ramen Museum.

But when it comes to beer, Japan’s second city offers another experience altogether.

Back in 1870, Yokohama was the site of Japan’s very first brewery. More recently, the city has become a focal point of Japan’s nascent craft beer movement and at one time boasted the highest concentration of microbreweries and alehouses in the country, most clustered around the historic Bashamichi area.