Imabari Machinaka Bakushu : The Bottom Line
Imabari might be more famous for its towels than anything else, but it would be a disservice to ignore Imabari Machinaka Bakushu when you’re in town. The beers were much better than expected, so much so that I ended up picking a couple of cans to drink back in Kanto. The atmosphere was lively and local, with some people bringing in some cans they had picked up in their travels to share with the bar staff. The only downside to the place would be the limited amount of English in use, but then with modern day translation apps, it’s not really an issue. Imabari Machinaka Bakushu is non-smoking and has no table charge with all the prices including tax.
Imabari Machinaka Bakushu : Background
During the Edo period, the city flourished as a castle town for Imabari Castle, the domain of the Imabari Domain, and is also better known for its towels than anything else. As its name suggests, the brewery is located in the centre of the arcade of Imabari Shopping Arcade, close to Dondobi intersection in the centre of Imabari City. The brewery opened in October 2020 and is the only craft beer brewery in Imabari city at the time of writing.
Imabari has seen a decrease in population, with people moving to larger cities on Shikoku and to nearby Honshu cities. In particular, Imabari Shopping Arcade, which stretches east from Dondobi Intersection, is teeming with vacant shops, exuding a sense of loneliness reminiscent of a “shuttered shopping arcade.” However, with the aim of revitalizing the shopping arcade, the city is promoting support for new businesses in the city,
Imabari Machinaka Bakushu : Atmosphere & Interior
As you enter Imabari Machinaka Bakushu, you’re greeted by large open windows that you can peer into the brewery, and the longe counter bar that is the only seating inside. On the day we went, there were only two open seats left at the very back of the bar – talk about being lucky! There’s only space for around 10 people inside the bar, and noone was leaving in a hurry it seems, with a lively atmosphere of people talking and sharing beers. The whole place is non-smoking and has no table charge. There is also some free wifi if you want to use it.
Imabari Machinaka Bakushu : Beer & Tap Information
Though Imabari Machinaka Bakushu has eight taps available for craft beer, only five were on when we popped in. The beers come in twp sizes : medium (250 ml) from ¥700 and large (500 ml) from ¥1,100 yen. There is also a beer flight that is ¥1,400 for any three 130 ml beers on the menu. I had two beers that day and both were fantastic – though that could have been down to the cyling and being very thirsty. In all seriousness, the black IPA was amazing and the IPA was a classic American IPA with dank notes. If like the beers, they also have some cans available to takeaway from ¥600 for 350 ml.
Imabari Machinaka Bakushu : Food & Menu Information
The food at Imabari Machinaka Bakushu is pretty simple, with some small snacks on sale, with the chips being the standout. They try to source local food where possible, with meats and vegetables coming from the Ehime area thanks to the parent company that owns the bar. The menus were all in Japanese and the staff didn’t speak any English so you may need a Japanese reader or speaker with you. Finally, all of the prices include tax.
Imabari Machinaka Bakushu : Bar Details
- Open : Monday to Saturday 15:00 – 21:30 (L.O Food 20:30 Drink 21:00)
- Closed : Sundays
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : 0898-35-4313
- Homepage (in Japanese) : https://imabari-machinaka-bakusyu.com/
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
