Canal Brewing : The Bottom Line
I’m in two minds about Canal Brewing – I liked the vibe of this place with its fantastic music playlist throughout the evening, and decent array of beers on tap. It was just the prices that really put me off – but it’s 2026 and those prices are here to stay. I could see myself coming in for a quick beer or two next time I’m in the area, but I’m never really near Oimachi unless I’m changing trains. There is though a decent selection of beers to take away – more about that later – and the whole place is non-smoking with prices inclusive of tax and no table charge.
Canal Brewing : Background
Oimachi doesn’t have much going on there – perhaps the best thing about it in the past was that it is home to Devilcraft Brewery but it does have its craft beer bar now in the form of Canal Brewing. The store’s name, “Canal Brewing,” is a combination of “Canal,” which refers to the Katsushima Canal in Oimachi, and “Brewing”, though there isn’t a brewery on site at the time of writing.
Canal Brewing, which opened in May 2023, is located around a five minute walk from Oimachi station – a major hub in the south of Tokyo with a plethora of train lines running through it : JR East Keihin-Tohoku Line, the TWR Rinkai / Saikyo Line, and also the Tokyu Oimachi Line.
Canal Brewing : Atmosphere & Interior
As you approach Canal Brewing, you start to wander through the local housing part of the area – it’s a weird segue from tall shopping centres with a sudden change into a small local community. It’s got a nice feel to it – sometimes these hole in the wall places go overlooked and this place could also be overlooked. I got to the bar at opening but there was nothing outside to indicate it was open. So I did another loop around the area to make sure that I was in the right place, then boom, the owner had put a sign outside.
It’s quite a low place inside – I’m 1m83 – felt it to be a little low but that’s the problem with being tall in this country. Just make sure you’re careful as you move around, especially when you go to the toilet. The expression “there’s not enough room to swing a cat” seems apt with Canal Brewing. There’s space for eight people at the wall counters, and then two standing tables with space for two people a piece. There’s no table charge at the bar and the whole place is non-smoking. In terms of WiFi, I couldn’t connect to anything, nor was there any information about a connection in the bar.
Canal Brewing : Beer & Tap Information
Canal Brewing has space for ten taps craft beer, though on the day I went, eight were connected. And here begins the issue with the bar – the prices. I know that prices have gone up and that costs are passed on but this place is not cheap, though there are more expensive places in Tokyo. The beers come in three sizes : small (296 ml) from ¥1,090, regular (384 ml) from ¥1,370, and large (473 ml) from ¥1,490, with prices inclusive of tax. That puts this bar at the higher end for craft beer in Japan, let alone Tokyo. There’s no beer flights or all-you-can-drink-plan.
Canal Brewing does have a selection of cans and bottles that can be bought to drink in-store or to take away, which I did. There is a corkage fee though for drinking in with prices varying depending on the size of the can or bottle. These prices range from ¥200 for a small can, up to ¥750 for a 750 ml bottle. Of course, if you get the beers to take away, then there is no extra fee on top.
Canal Brewing : Food & Menu Information
As I was going out for dinner after my trip to Canal Brewing, I didn’t order anything, but then looking at the menu, nothing really tickled my fancy. In spite of the “fried food” section, the blessed chips were missing from the menu – sacrilege on my part for a craft beer bar!
There are some vegetarian options on the menu, and from time to time, there are guest shops that come in with prepared food, with information posted on the walls and social media for the bar. The menus did have more than enough English on them to order, so there’s no problem there getting some food with your drinks.
Canal Brewing : Bar Details
- Open : Weekdays 17:00 – 22:15 Weekends & Holidays 14:00 – 22:15 (L.O Food 21:30 Drinks 22:00)
- Closed : Irregular. Check the social media.
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : 050-5471-1044
- Homepage (in Japanese) : https://canalbrewing.jp/
- Social Media : Facebook / Instagram
