Hansharo Beer Homura The Bottom Line
If you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere and you see Hansharo Beer Homura and are hungry, then you’re in for a decent amount of food at reasonable prices. If you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere and you want beer, keep on going to the FamilyMart down the road instead and then come back for some food. The three beers that I had at Hansharo Beer were either oxidised or infected with something and put me off trying any more. A shame really as there isn’t much in the immediate area. Besides the food, at least the whole place is non-smoking, has no table charge, and there is free Wifi available around the premises.
Hansharo Beer Homura The Full Review
Hansharo Beer, like many other craft beer breweries in the mid 90s, opened up soon after the Japanese government loosened the restrictions for the beer licensing system. Like other breweries at the time, Hansharo Beer is owned by a sake company, with this one being Kuraya Narusawa. Hansharo Beer got its name from the “huge” reverberatory furnaces that are located across the small river. Thanks to Commander Perry and his black ships, these furnaces pushed Japan into the metal working age for huge cannons in the mid 1800s. These cannons were then transported over to Tokyo Bay and placed onto the waiting ships. The furnaces are still there and the site received world heritage status in summer 2015. If you’re interested in the furnaces, then it’s worth a visit if you’re in the local area.
Hansharo Beer Homura is located about 20 minutes walk from Izu-Nagaoka station on the Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line. The JR Odoriko train occasionally takes the route down to Shuzenji and stops at this station – guess you have the furnaces to thank for that. It’s quite an easy walk, with a gradual incline though we didn’t see any shuttle buses or local buses in the area. The restaurant itself is quite airy and has no table charge for those eating or drinking in. In terms of seating, there’s lots – two floors with both of them easily seating upwards of 100 people or so. If you just want to sit outside and drink bottles, then you can too. There is also some free Wifi going on in the area while the whole premises is non-smoking too.
The problem with Hansharo Beer Homura was that the beer was just not good on the day. I’ve had bottles at home for review but all three beers I drank on the day were either oxidised, infected, or just off. If you do decide to drink in then you have plenty of choices for your drinking “pleasure” – a glass (320ml) for ¥420, a 1.4L pitcher for ¥1,600, a three x 150ml beer tasting set for ¥700, or a four x 150ml beer tasting set for ¥900. None of the prices include tax so make sure you add that on before the end of drinking. Bottles can also be taken away to drink but you can’t drink them in the restaurant, so grab some (free) plastic cups and set up outside.
If you do eat at Hansharo Beer Homura – and I recommend it over drinking there – expect a small BBQ plate on your table where you cook for yourself. Like so many adventures on this trip, I wasn’t hungry – thinking it could have been too much beer the day beforehand and also a fair amount of snacks to keep the energy up on the bicycle. But the food did look and smell great. Next time..
Hansharo Beer Homura Details
Open: Weekdays 11:00 to 15:00 Weekend 10:00 to 21:30
Happy Hour: None
Phone: 055-949-1208
Homepage (in Japanese): http://www.kuraya-narusawa.co.jp/roaster_rest/
SNS: N/A
How to Get to Hansharo Beer Homura
Hansharo Beer Homura is located about 20 minutes walk from Izu-Nagaoka station on the Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line.