Thrash Zone sounded like some dodgy, off-the-beaten track bar when I first heard about almost a decade ago now in 2006. It was originally on a second floor and if you scour the internet hard enough, you’ll find a picture of BeerTengoku at that bar looking worse for wear. Thrash Zone is essentially an outlet for Thrashzone Brew Labo beers with most of them having an abv from 7% to 10%.
If you can see the tiny amp out front, then you’ve found Thrash Zone. Else, if you can hear the music, you’ve also found Thrash Zone
Located about a five-minute walk from Yokohama station, Thrash Zone is found on the first floor of what appears to be a residential block, surrounded by apartment blocks. We’ve been there numerous times throughout the week (sometimes as early as midday while also late at night before closing) The atmosphere has always been better towards the end of the evening, when the bar starts to fill up from 8pm or as early as 6pm on a Friday. The bar is non-smoking both inside and also in the general vicinity; however, there is a park nearby where you can smoke.
[vr url=https://beertengoku.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/SAM_100_0054.jpg view=360 width=”500″ height=”300″]
Inside, Thrash Zone is decked out with Marshall stack amps up along the back wall, but I suspect that it is panelling. Posters around the outside shore up as decoration around the bar, and plenty of metal music playing. It’s always been present with sometimes thrash metal or heavy metal, or on the rarest of occasions, some 80’s hair metal. If you don’t like that kind of music then it is possible to ignore it, if you put headphones on as I’ve seen some people do from time-to-time.
11 comments
Nice site. A lot of work. Thank you.
I think Thrash Zone has plenty of atmosphere and its hard for me to avoid a conversation when I’m I there. Horses and courses, perhaps.
Good work and keep it up.
Have we met? We must have.
I’m Chuwy (drunk Welsh guy who often double fists pints and forgets stuff).
p.s. Japanese brewers have been making high alc beers for a while before Thrash zone started brewing. Best I can think of are Minoh WIPA (from way back when) and the Hakusekikan beers (super vintage and hurricane being awesome). Thrash aren’t the first but they are slowly becoming one of the better ones. Slowly!
We’ll go there again at some point and re-write the review. The previous location, upstairs on the second floor, was much more entertaining I thought but perhaps we went on a dead quiet night and no-one else was there.
Thanks for the comment. Don’t think we’ve met – I would remember someone double fisting in Thrash Zone. 😀
Minoh W-IPA is a good example of a good beer. Hakusekikan beers? Are those from Ibaragi? Will try and hunt some down.
I don’t know how this happened, but this has become my favo(u)rite pub in Japan. There is something about it which got through all my levels, straight down to the id. Over the years, on my visits to Japan (from Chicago, U.S.A.), I have given here: An Ozzy Osbourne bobblehead, print copies of obscure American music zines, and even an American ‘pink‘ movie on DVD with Oderus Urungus[!-R.I.P.] of Gwar having an acting role. –And I am not a hophead- One thing I remember from the old location: I was the first customer one night, and I looked through its CDs. The ones I picked out for it to play were by Man Or Astroman, and {astonishingly} Petty Booka!
The chips are gone now. Instead you can help yourself to pretzels or nuts. No thanks.
Definitely needs a rewrite. Those are Marshall stack lookalikes (not Fender!) and most of the non-Thrashzone beers have always tended to be from the US west coast, with just a couple of Japanese brews. Look at that chalkboard! Green Flash (CA), Coronado (CA), Lagunitas (CA), North Coast (CA), Coronado (CA) again, Scutlebutt (WA).
Yeah, it’s definitely changed since the original review and going to sit down and go through it again over the next couple of days.
The amount of Japanese beers has decreased over time, with only Hidatakyama on tap now as the only non-Thrashzone Brew Labo on tap.
Good beer. Too bad the owner is a sourpuss. Also, why is the thrash metal being played at barely audible, elevator music levels?
The music does vary, you’re right there. Sometimes it’s blaring out and at other times, quiet. Guess the neighbours complained?
He wasn’t a sourpuss to me. One evening when I was there after covering a match in the F.I.F.A. Club World Cup, and I wanted to make a match report, he let me tether to his mobile telephone. So wi-fi might be available.
I never got to the ‘meatballs’ location. Oh well…
Reassession time, bunky.
This place is still as good as when you wrote it up in November 2014. That it has lasted until {April 2023} now, is itself a valid artifact on its contemporary existance.
Yes, I just dumped a bunch more issues of Razorcake magazine here might be a reason, as well as the automated beer ordering scheme might be a little more off-putting, but the beers are still solid {World Downfall Stout 7.4% = ¥900 pint}. Go here again.
(Or write to me. I’m in Japan until the 18th. I’ll visit here again to chat with you.)
…and that kanagawa.fdn.vectant.ne.jp has valid unencrypted wi-fi access here should upgrade it there, as to how I made this (& the prior) response.