As a dining destination, Yokohama has always been overshadowed by Tokyo. When visitors do make the short trip down the coast, few bother to look past the city¡¯s waterfront cafes, the crowded alleys and eateries of Chinatown or the kitsch lure of the Ramen Museum.

But when it comes to beer, Japan¡¯s second city offers another experience altogether.

Back in 1870, Yokohama was the site of Japan¡¯s very first brewery. More recently, the city has become a focal point of Japan¡¯s nascent craft beer movement and at one time boasted the highest concentration of microbreweries and alehouses in the country, most clustered around the historic Bashamichi area.