Day Tripper

Speaking of outings, three weeks ago we had Yokohama Day! Basically, the students got to choose between three “courses” of going to an art museum, hiking, and yay! touring the KIRIN Beer Factory!! (Guess which I chose.)

1st stop: Yokohama Archives of History
Before the hops, yeast, and malt magic, we stopped by the Yokohama Archives of History. Of all the places I’ve been to in Japan, Yokohama has the longest history with foreigners (and probably the best-kept records of it.) It was pretty fascinating to see the early portraits of Commodore Perry. Some of them were pretty dead on, while others were… pretty unforgiving… both in their portrayal of wrinkles and incorporation of a few extra demonic features here and there. (For more cool photos that visualize the history of Yokohama and Japan in general, check out here.)


The exhibit on how much the city has changed topographically was what I found most interesting. Specifically, I was a little surprised when I found out that where I currently live, Pacifico Yokohama, and basically all around Minato Mirai 21 was once, in fact, water. That’s right, good old H2O. Apparently, a good chunk of the current coastline of Yokohama is actually reclaimed land. I suppose I shouldn’t find this surprising since Japan is an island nation and therefore in a tricky spot when it comes to acquiring more land. However, perhaps because I’ve seen what happens when reclaimed land gets … well, reclaimed by nature (think: Venice and Mexico City), I was fascinated by this little info nugget and had to pick up an old map of Yokohama in the gift shop so I can point out where my apartment would be floating if I magically went back in time to Edo Japan.

2nd Stop: 大さん橋 (OSANBASHI PIER)
We stopped by here for lunch. I’m not all that into architecture, but the unusual setup was fairly interesting. I think it’s post-earthquake inspired, but judge for yourself. It’s a nice lunch spot given the great views of Minato Mirai it affords, only mind the strong winds... my chopsticks nearly got blown away.
Final stop: KIRIN beer factory
The beer factory is a short train ride out of Yokohama. When we arrived, we were greeted by several images of this… fluffy, marshmallow-esque image in the lobby. It’s KIRIN’s mascot for environmental issues called エコジロ (ECOJIRO). I theorize that he’s made from the froth produced by brewers yeast, but really who knows? He points out all sorts of interesting facts like how the average beer bottle lasts 8 years (about 24 trips to/from brewery to customers) AND even where to find the bathroom.

Apparently, he’s kind of a big deal. He’s got his own homepage and a series of online books.

Now, if the little crème puff toilet guy wasn’t puzzling, the random Egyptian-façade decor of the lobby was. I figured it had something to do with the history of beer and after consulting my friend Wiki, I found out that beer does indeed go as far back as ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

How to Serve a Perfect Mug of Beer
1. Pour beer in from approx 30cm above the glass, making sure to pour slowly at first and then faster to fill the glass with froth.
2. Start pouring beer slowly again when you’ve got a 50:50 ratio between froth and body. Keep pouring until the froth reaches a centimeter above the glass.
3. Wait for a bit and then pour more beer *slowly until the froth reaches just a centimeter and a half above the rim. You should end up with a 70:30 ratio of beer to froth.
4. Enjoy perfection in all its glory.

Frankly, I thought it was too much of a hassle to wait that long to drink my beer… haha, just kidding- I poured mine before the demo, so sadly missed out. However, the guy who tried it swore it tasted better, so I think I’ll have to try it sometime in the future.