“Holidays and Beer 2025″—what a name, right? I headed out with my buddy Antonio to the grassy riverside near Saiwaibashi Bridge by the Asuwa River. The promise? A showcase of craft beers from seven different breweries across Japan. Count me in.
The weather? Almost *too* perfect. The sun was out like it had something to prove. Just yesterday I was shivering in a hoodie. Oh, fickle spring.
At the entrance, I was handed a ticket set and a tiny plastic cup. The staff member warned me, “Please don’t let the wind carry your cup away. Replacements cost 500 yen.” Gulp. The breeze *was* getting feisty…
First up: a wheat lager from Toyama. Light, crisp, and basically sunshine in a cup. I really needed shade, though. Every shady seat was taken. Not cool—literally.
Beer #2: NOMCRAFT IPA from Osaka. Not too bitter for an IPA, actually. Kind of smooth. I could’ve had two.
Antonio had an IPA too—but he spilled his second one all over the table. Tragic. Still better than losing the cup, I guess…
Craving dumplings, I lined up at the gyoza stand. There were four options, but one wasn’t even a dumpling. Guess which one I picked.
It turned out to be simmered pork belly with star anise. Delicious? Yes. Gyoza? Not so much.
I still wanted real gyoza, though, so I handed Antonio a ticket and sent him off. Mission: dumplings.
He came back with shima-rakkyo (island shallot) gyoza. Now *that’s* what I call a comeback.
Somewhere along the way I had another beer, but… I’ve completely forgotten what it was. Oops.
By then, the heat was getting to us. We needed a breeze and maybe an umbrella. Or a teleportation device to the nearest AC café.
To be continued…
“I always choose the wrong thing.” — Sylvia Plath
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