[ Aug.2014 ] While we were in Japan, my family organised the factory tour of Asahi Beer in Ibaraki.
Of course the main purpose was the tasting in the end, but visiting the factory itself was interesting, too.
The fact that they show this factory to the public means that they are proud of it.
It was very modern and clean and looked very well organised.
It was thoroughly automated and we saw only a few people working there.
But according to the guide, each process is checked by five senses of human beings and guaranteed by them.
They call this system “Taikoban (hallmark)”.
I just thought how the Japanese beer market is and looked up.
Asahi has got the top share, overtaking Kirin since the 21st century started.
As for the tasting, we had only 20 minutes and we could drink up to 3 glasses.
They served rice cracker type of snack, too.
But you cannot drink so much in a short time, so I had only one and a half glasses.
On the ground floor near the entrance, there was a space for visitors to wear their uniforms and take photos.
We always love wearing costumes, so we wore the uniforms and the helmets and took photos, though none of the others did that.
