[Beer Hall Lion Ginza 7-Chome]

The other day, after dinner in Ginza, I went to Beer Hall Lion Ginza 7-chome for my second stop. The oldest existing beer hall in Japan has an impressive interior, and I had a wonderful time there.

Nowadays, you often see “Ginza Lion” signs around town. During the war, many beer halls were destroyed by air raids or demolished due to evacuation, but the Beer Hall Lion Ginza 7-chome, which opened in 1934 (Showa 9), survived the air raids and has maintained its original appearance for over 90 years. In 2022 (Reiwa 4), the Ginza Lion Building was registered as a national tangible cultural property (building). The interior, which was lavishly designed and ingeniously constructed at the time, was created with the theme of “abundance and harvest.”

Upon entering, you are greeted by a solemn space reminiscent of a church, with rows of tables and people enjoying beer, elegant pillars and lighting, and a large mural on the front wall made of glass mosaic, which was the first in Japan to be created entirely by Japanese artisans. The mural depicts women harvesting beer barley using 250 colors of domestically produced glass. It instantly reminded me of the old-established beer hall I visited in Berlin, Germany, but it was just as impressive in terms of architecture, openness, and atmosphere. While drinking beer here, I often lost track of where I was, and it was only when I looked out the few windows at the lights of the neighboring building that I realized I was in Ginza.

The signature feature of Beer Hall Lion is the traditional method of pouring draft beer, known as “once pouring,” which has been passed down for over a century. Unlike the conventional method of pouring the beer first and then adding the foam at the end, “once pouring” uses a special beer tap and skilled technique to create the foam while pouring. By rotating the beer in the glass while pouring, excess carbon dioxide escapes, and the beer, with its bitterness trapped in the foam, has a crisp, smooth finish that makes it easy to drink endlessly.

I had heard of it before but had never visited. I was surprised to find such a space right in the heart of Ginza. Combined with the historic “Okuno Building” where our Ginza showroom is located, it offers a delightful architectural tour of Ginza. No reservations are required, and with plenty of seating, it’s easy to drop by on a whim—another pleasant feature. Even if you’ve visited other Ginza Lion locations, I highly recommend paying a visit to the Beer Hall Lion Ginza 7-chome at least once.

Ginza Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/ginza.html
Beer Hall Lion Ginza 7-chome
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zpAKZ5v1CrkgxfF88

References
https://www.ginzalion.jp/shop/brand/lionginza7/
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001842.000012361.html