Toyonaka Raises a Beer to Its Own History
Toyonaka taps into its own brewing history as BEER BEAT returns to Harada Shrine with craft breweries from across Japan and a new rice lager made with locally grown Hinohikari.
Toyonaka City in Osaka claims a surprisingly important place in Japanese beer history. The city identifies Shōzaburō Shibutani, whose family came from Toyonaka’s Sakuraitani area, as the first Japanese person to successfully brew beer.
More than 150 years later, that history has helped inspire a beer festival of the city’s own.
Hibike! Toyonaka BEER BEAT returns to Harada Shrine on October 24–25, bringing craft breweries from across Japan into the grounds of a shrine whose present main sanctuary dates to 1652. The festival itself is considerably younger. It began with one local beer lover declaring that Toyonaka ought to have a craft beer festival, and the first BEER BEAT drew about 3,000 people over two days in 2025.
This year, the connection to Shibutani becomes something visitors can actually drink. Organizers had wanted to create a festival beer from the beginning but couldn’t make it happen in year one. For the second edition, they approached CRAFT BEER BASE founder Kazu Tani, a Toyonaka resident, with a deceptively difficult question: what would make a beer distinctly Toyonaka?
Their answer reaches backward and stays local. The organizers say Shibutani’s pioneering beer was a lager, while CRAFT BEER BASE took silver for its German-style pilsner at the 2026 World Beer Cup. Add Hinohikari rice grown and harvested in Toyonaka, and the result is BEER BEAT’s first original beer: a crisp, easy-drinking rice lager designed specifically for the festival.
It won’t be drinking alone. The 2026 lineup brings breweries from Osaka and across Japan, including CRAFT BEER BASE, FLORA FERMENTATION, Egret Brewery, DD4D BREWING, NOMCRAFT Brewing, KYOTO NUDE BREWERY, NAMACHAん Brewing and BREW CLASSIC, with several additional breweries appearing on only one of the two days. Toyonaka restaurants will provide the food side of the weekend, with the complete lineup to be published by the organizer.
That combination makes BEER BEAT feel appropriately local despite the increasingly national brewery roster. This isn’t a giant beer festival dropped into Toyonaka for a weekend. It’s a young event trying to grow roots: local organizers, local food, a Toyonaka brewer helping create a beer made with Toyonaka rice, all gathered beneath the trees of a shrine a two-minute walk from Okamachi Station.
Shibutani’s brewery lasted less than a decade. Toyonaka’s second attempt at building a beer tradition is only two years old. This time, the city seems determined to keep the taps running.
Toyonaka in a Glass – Try the festival’s rice lager, brewed with Hinohikari grown in Toyonaka.
A Beer History Reborn – Discover Toyonaka’s connection to pioneering Japanese brewer Shōzaburō Shibutani.
Breweries Across Japan – Sample craft beer from breweries across Osaka, Kansai and beyond.
Beer Beneath Shrine Trees – Eat and drink at Harada Shrine, whose sanctuary dates to 1652.
Born in Toyonaka – Local food, local beer and a festival building a new Toyonaka tradition.
Photos: Toyonaka Beer Beat Official Website, Japan Scenes
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Maps
Contact
Opening Hours
THE SCENE: FAQ’s
ACCESS
Venue
Harada Shrine
Address
1-2-18 Nakazakurazuka, Toyonaka, Osaka
Trains
Hankyu Takarazuka Line → Okamachi Station
Harada Shrine is about a two-minute walk east of Okamachi Station.
Subways
Metro Midosuji Line → Umeda Station ↔ Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station → Okamachi Station
There is no Osaka Metro station near the shrine. From central Osaka, use the Midosuji Line to Umeda and transfer to the Hankyu Takarazuka Line at Osaka-Umeda.
◷ FROM CENTRAL OSAKA
From Namba — about 35–40 minutes
Take the Metro Midosuji Line to Umeda, transfer to the Hankyu Takarazuka Line at Osaka-Umeda and continue to Okamachi.
From Osaka-Umeda — about 20 minutes
Take the Hankyu Takarazuka Line to Okamachi, then walk about two minutes east to Harada Shrine.
The organizer asks visitors to come on foot or by public transportation.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 24
11:00–17:00
Sunday, October 25
10:00–16:00
Breweries from Osaka and across Japan participate throughout the weekend, with some appearing on only one day. Minoh Beer and Kamado Brewery are currently listed for Saturday only, while CO-PO and Hokusetsu Beer Association are Sunday-only participants.
TICKETS
Admission
Free.
Beer and food are purchased separately at the event.
Crowdfunding Vouchers
The festival’s crowdfunding campaign offered supporters ¥1,000 and ¥2,000 event vouchers redeemable at participating beer and food vendors. These vouchers do not provide change and are valid only during the October 24–25 event.
No general admission reservation is required.
THE EXPERIENCE
BEER BEAT combines a serious craft-beer lineup with the atmosphere of a local Toyonaka gathering in the grounds of one of the city’s historic shrines.
- Taste the first BEER BEAT original beer, a rice lager made with Toyonaka-grown Hinohikari.
- Compare breweries from Osaka, Kansai and farther across Japan.
- Eat from local food vendors between pours.
- Drink beneath the trees surrounding Harada Shrine and its 1652 main sanctuary.
- Look for BEER BEAT merchandise, including the festival’s distinctive original T-shirts and brewery-logo goods.
With Okamachi Station only two minutes away, it is easy to make BEER BEAT the destination or simply spend a few hours tasting your way through the festival.
INFO & TIPS
Try the Toyonaka Beer
The 2026 original rice lager is one of the most distinctive reasons to visit. CRAFT BEER BASE created it with Toyonaka-grown Hinohikari as a deliberate connection between the city’s brewing history and the festival’s new local identity.
Check the Day Before You Go
Several breweries participate on only one of the two days. Check the official lineup if there is a particular brewery you want to try.
Come Hungry
Beer is only half of BEER BEAT. The organizer will publish the 2026 food lineup separately, so check again closer to the weekend.
See the Shrine
Harada Shrine is more than a backdrop. Its history can be traced through documentary records to at least 684, while the present main sanctuary was rebuilt in 1652 and is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.
Pick Up a Goshuin
Harada Shrine issues goshuin from its shrine office, including seasonal paper-cut designs. Shrine-office hours are 8:00–16:00, so Saturday visitors should go before the beer festival ends if they want one.
Leave the Car Behind
The organizer specifically asks visitors to arrive on foot or by public transportation. With Okamachi Station about two minutes away, rail is also the simplest option.
Hibike! Toyonaka BEER BEAT Executive Committee
https://toyonaka-beerbeat.com/
Harada Shrine
Telephone: 06-6852-4732
https://www.haradajinja.or.jp/
