orion brewery tour okinawa

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Food & Drink

• Orion Beer Brewery Tour in Okinawa

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See how Okinawa's iconic beer is made

Orion beer is an unmissable icon of Okinawa. Visit the Orion Beer Brewery in Nago to see how the brew is made. While touring the sprawling grounds, you will notice the massive tanks filled with beer awaiting bottling. After the tour, try the finished product in a beer tasting, or visit the onsite restaurant and shop. When to go: All year

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Orion Happy Park

Orion Beer is the most famous beer in Okinawa and easily available at restaurants across the prefecture. The beer is brewed in a brewery in Nago City in the north of the Okinawa Main Island . One part of the brewery, called Orion Happy Park, is open to the public and the meeting point for free tours of the brewery. It also features a shop, restaurant and small history gallery.

Free tours of the brewery take about one hour and are conducted in Japanese . Advance reservations are required. The tours cover the history of Orion Beer, the ingredients and process of beer making, views into various factory halls, including onto the bottling lines, and a 20 minute tasting session at the end.

Getting there and around

The Orion Happy Park is located near the southeastern edge of central Nago City in the north of the Okinawa Main Island .

Take highway bus number 111 or 117 or the Yanbaru Express from Naha to Nago Bus Terminal (90 minutes, 1650-2140 yen from Naha Bus Center; 105 minutes, 1650-2230 yen from Naha Airport; 1-2 buses/hour) and transfer to bus number 65 (or 66 in the opposite direction), 70, 77 or 120 for a ten minute ride (160 yen, multiple connections per hour) to Nangusuku-Iriguchi bus stop (��������). The Orion Happy Park is located a short walk from the bus stop.

By car , take the Okinawa Expressway from Naha all the way to its northern end near Nago (1040 yen one way) and then follow regular roads to the Orion Happy Park. In total, the journey takes about 90-120 minutes one way (more during rush hours). Note that Japan has very strict drinking and driving laws.

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Hours and Fees

Brewery tours are free of charge and are conducted multiple times between 10:00 and 16:00, except on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Advance reservations can be made online .

Questions? Ask in our forum .

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Orion Happy Park (Orion brewery)

See how Okinawa's favorite beer is brewed at Orion Happy Park. And have a free glass or two fresh from the tap at the end of the tour to taste why it's so loved by the locals. You can even enjoy some tasty dishes made from local ingredients with the beer at the factory restaurant.

Opening Hours

10:00 am - 4:00 pm (Tour sign - up time)

Dec. 31 - Jan. 3 Varies depending on the establishment.

https://www.orionbeer.co.jp/en/about/happypark.html

Okinawa Travel - Mar 6 2024

[Okinawa Travel] Orion Beer Factory Tour Entrance Fee and Reservation Method! [Okinawa sightseeing recommendations]

Table of contents, recommended for sightseeing in okinawa [orion beer factory tour], how to apply for orion beer factory tour / business hours, how to access/directions to orion happy park (factory tour), receive your participation badge, the beginning of the orion beer factory tour, there are many youth groups, orion beer ingredients, orion beer preparation, 75-0140 yeast, bottles, cans, and barrel filling work, orion beer also emphasizes recycling, orion beer video viewing, orion beer tasting time, inside the shop with a showa era feel, beer served by staff, inside the beer hall, orion's first premium craft beer [75beer], you can also enjoy meals, some products do not accept credit cards for payment., great deals: check out the aeon nago store, which is a 10-minute drive away, orion beer factory tour/orion happy park.

Orion Beer is a well-known Okinawan beer. The factory is located in Nago City, in the northern part of the main island of Okinawa, and you can tour the factory where beer is actually made, making it a hidden popular spot for sightseeing in Okinawa.

The secret to its popularity is that after the factory tour, you can sample freshly made Orion beer (up to two glasses per person)!

You can drink fresh draft beer after the beer factory tour!

This is a must for us beer lovers ! :) So, when I went on a trip to Okinawa, I participated in this Orion beer factory tour, so I would like to report on the details of the experience.

This Okinawa sightseeing [Orion beer factory tour] can be accepted if you go directly to the site if it is available, but it is safe to make a reservation in advance, assuming a crowded situation such as a group application.

Orion Beer Factory Tour / Orion Happy Park

The Orion Beer Factory tour will be held at the Orion Happy Park facility within the Orion Beer Factory facility.

Orion Happy Park is a little difficult to access using public transportation, so we recommend using a rental car or taxi. Car navigation search is map code 206 598 867*32 .

There is also a free parking lot for visitors across the road from the Orion Beer Factory Tour facility, so don't worry.However, please note that car drivers are not allowed to sample the beer. (Soft drinks will be provided to the driver)

Visit Orion Happy Park and Orion Beer Factory

From now on, I would like to share with you photos of our actual Orion beer factory tour. The photo above is the entrance to the Orion Happy Park facility.

By the way, the sign on the wall of the building advertises [Yanbaru no Mori] , and this is actually a beer hall that serves as the final tasting venue of the Orion beer factory tour. (Business hours 10:00 - 17:30 / Closed Wednesdays)

Complete the reception

When you enter Orion Happy Park, you will see the reception desk for the Orion Beer Factory Tour right in front of you, so complete the procedures to participate in the factory tour there.

Factory tours are held 10 times a day. It starts quickly if you are on time, so be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes early.

If you think you will be late for your reserved time, you need call Orion Happy Park.

Once you have accepted the Orion Beer Factory Tour, you will receive a badge like the one above that serves as a badge for participating in the factory tour, so make sure to wear it somewhere easy to see, such as on your chest.

On the left is a regular badge, and on the right is a badge for car drivers/drivers.

This badge can be exchanged for beer (the driver's badge is a soft drink) when tasting Orion beer.

The time has come and the tour of the Orion beer factory begins. Follow the Orion Beer staff who will give you an explanation.

When we participated in the Orion beer factory tour, there were some older people, perhaps because it was a weekday, but most were young, same-sex groups.

In addition to Japanese people, there were also quite a number of overseas travelers, including Chinese and Koreans.

The Orion beer factory tour begins with an explanation of the raw materials for Orion beer, such as malt (germinated barley) and hops (a plant belonging to the Cannabis family).

Orion Beer uses carefully selected malt from Europe, Australia, and Canada.

After explaining the ingredients of Orion Beer, we headed to the facility where the ingredients are actually prepared.

Here, crushed malt is placed in a brewing tank and heated to produce wort, the raw material for beer. Because the equipment uses heat treatment, the indoor temperature is around 38 degrees, which is quite humid.

Orion beer fermentation tank

The wort that becomes the beer base produced during the brewing process is transferred to a ridiculously large fermentation tank outside the building.

Each fermentation tank has a capacity of 190 kiloliters. Approximately 543,000 350ml beer cans are stored. The amount is so large that it's hard to tell right away, but if you continued to drink one 350ml can a day, it would take you about 1,500 years (lol).

In short, that single fermentation tank can store a large amount of beer that one person could not drink in a lifetime.

Although it is not possible to visit the fermentation tank, a model of it is available at the factory tour facility, and an explanation of the fermentation tank process will be given there.

There are various trade secrets involved in this fermentation process, so not much can be communicated, but only the yeast that contributes to the fermentation of Orion Beer was introduced. That is [75-0140] yeast.

You might think it's a yeast fungus with a name that's full of numbers and doesn't make sense, but its name is actually a play on Japanese words, [75 (Nago) -0140 (oishii)] (lol).

Apparently, this beer fermentation process takes seven days to produce young beer, and another ten days to produce delicious beer.

The finished beer is then filtered through a diatomaceous earth filtration device, then bottled and canned.

The filtered Orion beer is sent to machines for filling bottles, cans, and kegs.

All basic work is done by robots, but important inspection work, such as checking for foreign objects, is carried out by dedicated staff with the naked eye.

In addition, the production of Orion Beer puts a lot of effort into recycling, such as reusing/recycling products made during the manufacturing process and incorporating recycled materials into the manufacturing process.

Even if you normally drink beer casually, learning more about it in this way will make you love it even more.

At the end of the Orion beer factory tour, a video viewing will be held, including the parts that could not be seen. This concludes the Orion Beer factory tour part.

After the 35-minute tour of the Orion Beer Factory, the long-awaited beer tasting time finally began. Let's proceed by following the directions inside the building.

Scenery of Okinawa in the 1960s

There is a building object on the way to the beer hall [Yanbaru no Mori], which is the Orion beer tasting venue.

This is a recreation of Okinawa's [machiyagua] (meaning store in the Okinawan dialect) in the 1960s, when Orion Beer was founded.

When you look inside this [Machiyagua], you will see a nostalgic scenery of the Showa era.

Come to think of it, my parents' house (an old folk house built since the Edo period) used to have a dirt floor like this. This nostalgic worldview is one that will touch the hearts of those who spent their youth in the Showa era.

Beer hall [Yanbaru no Mori]

This is not the time to be nostalgic about the Showa era (lol). As you go deeper past the nostalgic Showa-era shops, you'll find Yanbaru no Mori, a popular Orion beer tasting venue for factory visitors.

When you enter the store, a bar counter will appear. Here, you will first have a beer (for the first beer, just show your badge and for the second beer you will exchange the badge for the drink). Mizuki gets an Orion draft beer, and since I'm the driver, I get a non-alcoholic beer instead of beer in exchange for my badge.

This beer tasting time is timed, with a time limit of 20 minutes . If you drink slowly, you won't be able to drink the second cup, so drink the first cup quickly and get a refill♪

A scene inside the beer hall [Yanbaru no Mori] during the Orion beer tasting.

People who tour the factory can enjoy freshly brewed Orion beer for free, so even though it's Okinawa's off-season (end of February), there are quite a number of guests participating.

During this tasting time, you can try not only Orion's regular draft beer, but also Orion's first premium craft beer [75BEER] (which tastes like dark beer). We recommend comparing the drinks by having your first glass of regular Orion beer, your second glass of 75BEER, etc.

My impressions after drinking 75 beer are that it has a strong taste. 75 beer is delicious, but we prefer the regular Orion beer because we like a refreshing and light taste.

The beer hall [Yanbaru no Mori], which is the tasting venue for this Orion beer factory tour, is not only a tasting venue, but also a casual restaurant where you can enjoy meals during business hours.

Shops in Orion Happy Park

The Orion beer factory tour ends after 20 minutes of tasting time.

After sampling delicious, freshly brewed beer, look for souvenirs at the shop attached to the beer hall. There are also souvenirs such as ballpoint pens and key chains.

This shop also has limited edition items such as T-shirts and limited edition goods, so if you're looking to buy souvenirs, be sure to stop by.

Please note that some products such as beer cannot be purchased with credit cards at the shop inside the Orion Beer Factory. For those of us who don't usually carry much cash, not being able to use credit cards is a bit disappointing. I look forward to future improvements.

As a small piece of information, you can go to the ``Aeon Nago Store'' by car for 10 minutes from Orion Happy Park, where you will tour the Orion Beer Factory.

In addition to souvenirs that can be purchased at the airport and souvenir shops in town, there are some T-shirts and limited edition goods that are hard to find anywhere else unless you buy them at the shop inside Orion Happy Park. However, if you want to buy beer, it's cheaper and better to go to Aeon.

The Aeon Nago store has more types of beer than the Orion Happy Park shop, and they also carry a wide variety of Okinawan souvenirs, from affordable ones. Credit cards are also accepted, so if you have a rental car, we recommend going to the Aeon Nago store.

How about the Orion Beer Factory Tour and Orion Happy Park, which is a recommended sightseeing spot in Okinawa? Adults can participate in this Orion beer factory tour for 500 yen, and it comes with the super advantage of being able to enjoy two glasses of freshly brewed Orion beer during the tasting time. [Recommended sightseeing spots when traveling to Okinawa] It becomes.

Although it is a little difficult to access from around Naha, it is definitely a spot you should visit if you are renting a car.

The area around Nago, Okinawa, has a very clean and quiet sea, making it the perfect environment to enjoy a leisurely trip to Okinawa away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

If you're planning a trip to Okinawa from a hotel near Onna Village or Nago, I recommend taking a day to tour the Orion Beer Factory and experience Orion Happy Park. See you soon!

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Orion Happy Park

Orion Happy Park is located in Nago city, northern Okinawa. This park has a brewery tour operated by Orion Beer, an Okinawan beer maker founded in 1957. Orion beer is a specialty brew using high quality water from the Yambaru area (a nature-rich region of northern Okinawa). While inside the brewery, beer making processes such as the ingredients, preparation, and fermentation are introduced in an easy-to-understand manner, all for free. A staff member will guide you through the facility while explaining the unique features of Orion beer and the beer brewing process. Of the 60 minute tour time, 35 minutes are spent looking at the factory and its gallery, and 25 are spent beer sampling. Non-alcoholic drinks are prepared for minors and drivers, making this tour approachable to everybody. Inside the facility, there is also the delicious Okinawan local cuisine restaurant "Orion Beer Garden Yanbaru no Mori" and a shop where you can buy various Orion souvenirs.

(Photo courtesy: Orion Happy Park)

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Orion Beerfest in Koza 2024

Enjoy Okinawa's most popular beer with food, fireworks, & music

With a history dating back to 1957, Orion is Japan's fifth largest brewery and the producer of Orion Beer, which commands an incredible 60% of the Okinawan beer market. The Orion Beerfest is a celebration of this, and the popular summertime event draws thousands of attendees each year.

Alongside the crisp, refreshing beer to sip on, there will be numerous food stalls, fun stage performances, and even fireworks displays to cap off each evening. More information about the lineup of performers can be found on the official event website.

There is no admission fee to enjoy the atmosphere of the event, but do bring yen if you plan on purchasing food or drinks. Please bring a valid form of photo ID with your birthdate for alcohol purchases.

Getting there

The event takes place at the Koza Sports Park, which can be accessed in just two minutes from the Okinawa Minami IC on the Okinawa Expressway.

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Japan Travel Staff

Information

Orion Beerfest in Koza (オリオンビアフェスト)

Early - Mid September 2024

Koza Sports Park

2 Chome-1-1 Moromizato, Okinawa, 904-0032, Japan ( Map ) ( Directions )

orionbeer.co.jp

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About ORIONBEER

Company overview, head office.

1-411 Aza Toyosaki, Tomigusuku-shi, Okinawa, Japan

Phone (pilot number):(098) 911-5229 Customer Service Center (098) 911-5230

Nago Brewery

2-2-1 Agarie, Nago-shi, Okinawa, Japan 905-0021

Brewery tour: +81-570-00-4103(Press 1 for the tour booking)

Establishment of Orion

Orion was established by Sosei Gushiken on May 18, 1957, with capital of 50 million yen (type B military yen). The founder's strong determination to develop the manufacturing industry in Okinawa for the post-war economic and social reconstruction led to the establishment of the company, which has ever since grown into one of the leading companies in the prefecture.

How was the name "Orion" determined?

The name "Orion" was originally the name of the beer sold by the company, which had been determined by inviting the public to name the beer. The public invitation to name the beer was placed in newspapers on November 1, 1957, with prizes offered. The prizes were 10,000 type B military yen ($83.40) for the first place, 3,000 type B military yen ($25) for the second place, and 2,000 type B military yen ($16.70) for the third place. The high-value prizes attracted more than 2,500 entries with 823 names. Of these, 810 names were screened, and "Orion" was selected for its association with Okinawa and level of appeal to consumers.

Orion is, needless to say, the name of a constellation. Orion is a constellation in the southern sky and matches the image of the southern island Okinawa. Stars are often used as a symbol of dreams and aspiration. And the commander of the U.S. forces governing Okinawa at that time was wearing the three-star emblem. These are the main reasons for the selection of the name.

About Logo Mark

Contributing to society.

Contributing to the local community is one of our management principles, and we are constantly engaged in activities to give back to the local community which has supported our growth thus far. We hold an Orion Beer Fest which is popular as one of the largest beer festivals in Japan. We sponsor sporting events, local festivals, arts festivals and other events, and in the future we will continue to contribute, to the best of our ability, to the development of traditional arts and culture in Okinawa Prefecture. Orion Beer will join hands with the local community and promote positive activities for Okinawa, with the aim of creating plenty of enjoyment and inspiration.

Please drink responsibly

• Chugging alcohol is dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Never chug alcohol or encourage someone else to chug alcohol.
• Never drink while pregnant or nursing as this will have an adverse effect on the development of the fetus or infant.
• Drinking by minors (less than 20 years old) is prohibited by law. Never drink if you are a minor, and never allow minors to drink.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol is prohibited by law. Follow the basic rule: "Do not drive if you drink, and do not drink if you are going to drive."
• Never drink alcohol while taking medication as this may be dangerous.
• To protect your health, be sure to rest your liver (i.e., do not drink) on at least two days every week.

Hotel Orion Motobu Resort & Spa

The Hotel Orion Motobu Resort & Spa is located in the Motobu Peninsula, which is in the northern part of the Okinawan main island and facing the spectacular East China Sea. The magnificent Emerald Beach, selected as one of the 100 best beaches in Japan,is right at our doorstep. Nearby are the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, where visitors can fully enjoy the appeal of Okinawa, and the Bise fukugi tree-lined path to the beach, which is reminiscent of traditional Okinawan scenery.

Address 148-1 Bise, Motobu-cho Kunigaki-gun, Okinawa, Japan 905－0207 phone: +81-980-51-7300 To Hotel Orion Motobu Resort & Spa website

Hotel Royal Orion

A very popular city hotel situated on Kokusai Dori (International Street), Asato, in Naha City, a perfect location for business, shopping, and sightseeing. With restaurants, lounges, and banquet halls, the hotel offers both sophisticated urban functions and relaxing spaces.

Address 1-2-21 Asato, Naha-shi, Okinawa, Japan 902-0067 phone: +81-98-866-5533 To Hotel Royal Orion website

Orion Support

Orion Support offers a wide range of support services for our business customers, such as the sales, repair, and installation of beer dispensers and other equipment; sales of carbonic acid gas; and cleaning of and cleaning guidance for beer dispensers.

Address: 2785-6 Noborikawa, Okinawa-shi, Okinawa, Japan 904-2142 phone: +81-98-921-2577

The legal Age for Alcohol Purchase or Consumption is over the age of 20. Driving under the influence of alcohol is strictly prohibited by Law. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy or when breastfeeding may adversely affect infants or fetus. Recycle cans and bottles.

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COOKIE POLICY Copyright @ ORION BREWERIES, LTD. All Rights Reserved.

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Orion Beer Factory

CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FORTE

You can’t go far on Okinawa without bumping into Orion: Orion lanterns, Orion Fest, Orion shirts, and of course Orion beer! Orion (pronounced O-ree-on) is uniquely tied to Okinawa: Orion beer controls a majority share of beer consumption on Okinawa, while in mainland it is a distant fifth to the other bigger beer names. Ninety percent of Orion never leaves the island. Orion is made with Okinawan spring water that springs beneath the mountain behind the factory.

Orion was founded in 1957 during the American occupation. It started brewing a traditional German style beer, but the company’s popularity took off as the brew became a more American style beer. Recently Orion has looked to expand its market in mainland Japan and has partnered with Asahi brand for help with distribution. In return, the Orion factory also makes the Asahi beer for Okinawa.

We recently took a trip to Nago and decided to check out the Orion factory. It was a fun mini-tour and tasting. Don’t plan on it being the only thing you do in Nago, but it is a great partner with other sites such as the Nago Castle Park , Pineapple Park  or on the way back from Okuma .

Upon entering the grounds, we were directed where to park and where to start the tour.  Parking is next to the giant beer storage towers. Later we were told that each tower can hold 10 million liters of beer. If you had a beer a day, it would take you 1,500 years to drink your way through one tower! We walked inside and registered. One person from each car was designated as the driver and wore a sign around his or her neck to show that he or she will not be having any beer samples. Everyone is given a ticket for free beverages later.

The guided tours are regularly available in Japanese. If you are with an English speaking large group you can call ahead and make arrangements for a guided English tour (number below). They also provide large laminated English written translations of the tour. You can either follow the tour guide or take the self guided tour, which we did. The tour overlooks the process of malting, milling, mashing, lautering, boiling, fermenting, conditioning, filtering, and packaging. There are both displays on the walls and large windows into the factory. At the end there are two displays with a history of the Orion cans and a display about how the packaging is recycled.

We finished the tour in factory guest hall. One wall shows Egyptian hieroglyphics of the beer making process and displays beer related accoutrements from around the world. At the counter you can turn in your tickets for beverages. Beer drinkers can have two pours and non beer drinkers are given their choice of soft drinks. We each got a package of Orion brand covered nuts – yummy! While we drank a large screen showed video about Orion. They seemed to have both Japanese and English version of the video. Adjacent to the beer hall is a gift shop where I finally got my Orion shirt: Orion, For Your Happy Time!

The Orion Factory also has a restaurant! It is open from 1000-1900 with last order at 1830. The menu features Okinawan specialties such as pork, goya, soba and, of course, Orion!

Phone: 0980-54-4103.

Website: www.orionbeer.co.jp is in Japanese, but has some interesting information when translated.

In English:  https://en.okinawastory.jp/facility/orion-beer-factory

Directions:  Getting to the factory is easy. Travel north on 58 or take the expressway and get on 58 at the last exit. As you enter Nago you will pass an A&W and a McDonalds. Shortly after, on your left, will be a large pachinko place named Super Big One . Take a right at the next intersection, following the sign for Nago Castle and a museum. Drive past the San-A and the school. The Orion factory will be on your right.

I’ve saved the best part for last: the tour with samples is free! So “For your happy time” I hope you have a chance to enjoy this tour of “The beer of beers!”

16 COMMENTS

English web site http://en.okinawastory.jp/facility/orion-beer-factory

Could someone please update the article to state that the last tour is at 16:40. Only the restaurant and gift shop are open till 19:00. I trusted this site when my son came over from the states and wanted to go. He is a huge beer connoisseur and enjoys the free drinks at the end of brewery tours. It was his last day here and I had just gotten off work at 16:30 and we drove up to Nago in a Typhoon and just made it there by 18:00 and were completely surprised that it was dead in there and there were no tours past 16:40. The more info I read on Okinawahai the more I realize no on knows what they are talking about. COUNTLESS directions are wrong and even operating times are wrong. Please update the article. Also, please POST ADDRESSES if you are not going to post maps. My son now will never get to see the inside of the Orion Beer Factory due to this terrible false information. He is devastated 8 year old.

I’m sorry you missed the tour, but thank you for letting us know that the last tour is at 16:40. I have updated the post. This website is a compilation of posts by our readers, for our readers, so as hours of operation (and even directions/locations) change, we rely on readers to keep us in the know so we can update the articles. We would love to have addresses posted for each and every place on the website, but again, we rely on writers to send us those addresses, and unfortunately it’s not always easy to get a physical address of every location on the island. We are actively working with our IT team to enable a map with pins so that it’s easier for you to navigate.

On a different note, I am a little confused when you say your 8-year-old son is a beer connoisseur.

In any case, thank you for the update and please let us know if you can provide corrections to any addresses or hours of operation that you find incorrect. We are happy to update them!

What is the cost to get in? Thank you 😀

Per the last line of the article above (after the directions) the tours are free.

I just want an Orion Beer t-shirt. I was a Marine stationed on Okinawa in 1999. My greatest regret was that I did NOT pick up an “Orion Beer” t-shirt.

Can ANYONE help me out?

[email protected]

When last I was in Nago, it was a small quiet tropical town surrounded by lush countryside dedicated to agriculture. A single two lane highway ran along the coastline into Nago. The northern third of the island was sparsely populated. That was in 1967, just before Tet of ’68. I wonder how much that has changed.

For my husband’s birthday we took this tour. I highly recommend that you contact ITT about times to book a tour because if you want an english speaking tour it must be booked in advance. HOWEVER if you are just wanting to go and see the brewery, you can still book the tour and go with a group, they do offer English pamphlets that show a little about the brewery but not exactly everything covered in the tour. The tour is free. They didn’t allow pictures inside the brewery. We went on a Saturday, so there was no beer making in progress, therefore I suggest that if you want to see the brewery in action, go during the week. This tour interested my husband a great deal, as brewing beer is a hobby he enjoys, so he knew some of the process. We went in a small group with a couple from Korea. The tour guide only spoke Japanese and some Korean, however, she carried cards with her, that had Korean characters as well as English on them, that explained a little about each stop that we made. We had our children with us, and she was courteous, pointing out the elevator to us as we needed it. We were also given small clip tags for samples afterwards. Be aware that there is very little tolerance to DUIs on the island and therefore you MUST choose someone in your party to be a designated driver. The clips given to us, showed who was allowed samples and who was not. They offered two glasses of draft beer at the sampling to those who were drinking. And anyone else was offered, tea, soda pop or juice, as well as a package of nuts. The tour time was about 30 minutes, however I can see how in larger groups with those with more questions, the tour could take up to 50 minutes. It offered our children a great chance to see how thorough the recycling programs can be around the island. Parking for the brewery is on the left side of the street. The lobby for tours opens at 9:20 am.

I forgot to mention, they had a gift shop with some Orion shirts and gifts. I did not see Beer Mugs, but they did sell a few different kinds of beer glasses.

As an American Soldier stationed in Okinawa in 1967, I remember the long beautiful ride up the coast to Nago to visit the brewery. I used to go in a group of young soldiers, either staging for Viet Nam or returning from Viet Nam and at the end of the tour we would be given all or the beer that we could drink. Needless to say, when we went into the towns, we were some of their best customers for the Asahi label, which was brewed there at that time.

Mark, I know they have a lot of Orion “stuff.” I don’t specifically remember mugs though.

Do they sell beer mugs there?

I agree with Kara. It’s fun if you have the right attitude plus it’s 2 free beers!

I loved the Orion Beer Tour!! They don’t give the tour in English… but I don’t expect that since we live in Japan. The pamphlet is self explanatory and it was pretty cool to see how the beer is made, bottled, and… drank. I can personally vouch for taking part in the last part. And what is there to complain about when you get 2 FREE beers? I can’t wait to go back.

We went here in conjunction with the ITT tour “Explore the North” and this was the more boring part of the tour for us. The tour was on a weekend, when nobody works. It isn’t fun to visit a factory that isn’t operating. Being a huge fan of Mr. Rogers and his many factory tours, I was expecting something along those lines. 😉 The ITT tour guide translated for us. There were two free beers at the end but as we are not drinkers, this wasn’t any consolation.

I visited the factory today expecting to be able to take a self-guided tour when I walked in. I don’t think they offer this anymore because the woman behind the information desk wrote down a time for the four of us to come back and take a guided tour. We came back (2 hours later)and had to go with a very large group of Japanese tourists and the Japanese (only) speaking tour guide. None of my group understands Japanese but we were expected to stay with the group anyway. The tour took about a half hour and was extremely boring. We were not provided with English translations of the tour, only an English pamphlet that didn’t explain much about what was happening during the tour. Since we were in Nago doing other stuff (Pineapple Park, Glass-Bottom Boat), we were happy to take an hour in an air-conditioned brewery and cool down with a couple free beers. BUT it was definitely not the same experience the original article describes. Definitely worth it if you need a little cool down though!

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Orion Happy Park ( Orion Happy Park )

A tour facility of the Orion Beer Nago factory in Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture. Visitors can tour the production process of Orion Beer with a guided tour.

Orion Beer is a beer produced in Okinawa and widely enjoyed by the people of the prefecture.

In addition to observing the production process, visitors can learn about the history of Orion Beer.

After the tour, there is a tasting corner where you can enjoy fresh beer right after production.

It is recommended to make reservations in advance, as tours may not be possible if the museum is crowded.

Location and Directions

Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes by car from Naha Airport.

Open with GoogleMaps

Markers indicate the location of sights, entrances to sights, parking lot entrances, and other locations suitable for different sights.

Official Site

Okinawa Tourist Guide: Orion Happy Park

Table of Contents

When in Okinawa, you’ll notice that most places that serve beer, is going to serve Orion beer.  Draft choices are limited to that. It was rare to see Kirin or Sapporo. As a beer connoisseur (very polite version of saying alcoholic), I thought I’d take this opportunity to visit the Orion brewery (Orion Happy Park).

Getting There

The Orion beer factory is 1 hour by car from Naha City and 2 hours by public transportation.  It is far from the city and difficult to navigate to on your own.  If you’re looking up things to do in Okinawa, you might as well do this part of a set tour.  That’s exactly what I did. My set tour included the Okinawa Aquarium, Orion Happy Park, Okinawan lunch, Pineapple Park (more like Pineapple Gift Shop), and dinner at the oldest restaurant in Okinawa.  Having the set tour is nice just because driving around Okinawa is a hassle.

Free! They also provide 2 beers and a small bag of beer nuts at the end.

The Orion Beer Factory Tour

Beer Tasting

After the tour, the beer tasting started. They pretty much just had Orion Beer and an Orion Cider.  If you’ve taken the tour, they provide you with 2 draft beers or 1 cider/non-alcoholic drink.  Along with that they provided you with a bag of tasty beer nuts.

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Okinawanderer Okinawa News travel › LIFE › Orion Beer is Okinawa’s enduring love afffair

Orion Beer is Okinawa’s enduring love afffair

Okinawans love Orion Beer!!!  It’s been 61 years since the company was established in 1957, a homegrown Okinawa brewery. It’s absolutely three-star tasting and its refreshing clean taste very much suits this Okinawan sub-tropical island, whether it’s on a beach in the summer time or any winter season occasion, Orion is synonymous with a party.

Orion’s beers are brewed in a modern, computer-controlled brewery in the heart of Nago City, where employees diligently toil to create the fresh draft taste tens of thousands of beer lovers love.  More staff are involved in administration, sales and management, many at the company’s corporate headquarters in Urasoe City, but all are committed to the task of making the company’s Pilsner-type beers ‘For your Happy Time’ as the company’s current slogan states.

Orion Beer is much loved by local Okinawan people

Mountain spring water—Orion’s water comes from springs beneath the mountains of Yanbaru —is one of the vital elements in the Okinawan-produced beer’s arsenal of ingredients and techniques that make it special. Virtually all beers are made from beer malt, hops and water, with the brew masters applying their special expertise in varying those ingredients to produce each beer’s unique taste. Orion goes a step further, choosing only the highest quality beer malt grown primarily in Germany, and selecting hops grown in the Czech Republic’s Saaz and Germany’s Hallertau region. Those hops are nurtured a step further, as they’re fully ripened during the controlled production process to bring out their full flavor.

Orion beer goes in more than one million bottles each year, but that is just the tip of it! Orion officials say that for each bottle of beer, the company produces three kegs of draft beer or six cans of an Orion product. To accomplish that, Orion bottles 19,200 bottles each hour, along with 72,000 cans of Orion and 720 kegs per hour.

The Orion Happy Park opened in 2011 offers visitors a backyard tour of Orion Beer Company on its facilities in Nago. The tour takes about 60 minutes –40 minutes for the tour and 20 minutes for beer tasting—with explanations of how beer is processed. T­­­he tour lectures are basically in Japanese only, but some flip charts in English are ready for foreigners. Visitors who don’t speak Japanese say they understood the tours quite well thanks to the charts.

Orion Beer backyard tours offer a good opportunity to learn about beer making on Okinawa.

At the tasting time, visitors can try two glasses of beer with some snacks for free! During this season, visitors can try all malt 100% beer its called “Ichiban Zakura” which is sold in quantities every November through February. Orion Administration Division Manager says “Actually, you can get a canned Ichiban Zakura at any supermarket until the season ends, but there’s no Ichiban Zakura draft beer in any outside market. You can only taste it only in this facility, and only during the limited season. The volume we brew each year is limited, and we are sorry if it runs out o­f before you come. After we run out, of course you can taste two glasses of any other freshest Orion beer there is for free. At tasting, you can get a non-alcohol beer or soft drink, too, so drivers and kids can also enjoy our tasting event.”

Draft Ichibanzakura beer specially brewed for the Nago Cherry Blossom Festival is available only at Orion Happy Park.

The tasting is always in the restaurant inside the facility, and tour participants can stay and order additional fresh beers, and also special dishes, which are made using ingredients from the Yanbaru area.

The Orion Beer backyard tour has been ranked 4th by Trip Adviser in Japan Backyard tour section in 2013, and many tourists, not only from mainland Japan but also foreign countries visit the brewery every year. The tours do not require advance booking but it’s recommended to make reservations in advance. Reservations are available three months in advance. Tel: 0980-54-4103  The Orion Happy Park is located at 2-2-1 Agarie, Nago City.  Map: https://goo.gl/maps/BIFaK

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Orion Beer: Okinawan Draft Lager

• by Brad Smith
• February 3, 2023 February 4, 2023

Orion Draft is a cult-favorite Japanese beer. It’s a refreshing international-style lager with enough character to separate itself from the other macro-brews of Japan.

In this post, you’ll find Orion tasting notes, pairing recommendations, brewery info, and much more.

Orion Draft Tasting Notes

Orion Draft is the quintessential Okinawan beer and is defined by the island’s tropical, coastal climate. It’s light, refreshing, and food-friendly.

Underneath high carbonation is a soft texture and a somewhat malty profile. Orion Draft is semi-dry. Head retention is decent for an industrial brew. Orion Draft’s hop levels are low but provide citrus and floral qualities. There is mild astringency on the finish. 

Some of the specific tasting notes found in Orion include honey nut cheerios, light toast, ripe banana, lemon peel, wet concrete, hay, and dried flowers. All of these aroma and flavor attributes are delicate.

Orion is a draft beer, meaning it’s unpasteurized. In Japan, the word for this is nama . Draft beer has more flavor and a fresher character. Draft beer is common amongst the larger Japanese beer brewers. However, this practice doesn’t apply to the export market. This leaves Orion as one of the few draft export Japanese macro lagers. 

Where to Buy Orion Premium Draft Beer

Orion beer can be harder to find than its macro Japanese cousins (Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin). At the same time, it’s the easiest authentic Japanese beer to find outside of the country. By authentic, I mean brewed in Japan. It comes in a variety of sizes, including 11 oz cans and 21.4 oz bottles but is rarely seen on tap.

Locating Orion in restaurants can be difficult. Izakayas and sushi bars with big beverage programs are your best bets. You may have to call around to locate some, though.

Finding Orion retail is usually easier than at restaurants and bars. Japanese markets are always a good place to start. So are Asian markets with solid beer selections. Large alcohol retailers like Total Wine, Binny’s, and BevMo! also often carry Orion. Retail prices for the 21 oz bottles usually range between $3-$5 US each.

Online Retailers of Orion Okinawa Beer

The best place to buy Orion is online. Every state has different alcohol laws, but many allow shipping.

Below are some of our recommended retailers. Be sure to shop around for the best price. I may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Serving Orion: Don’t Forget the Awamori!

Serve Orion Draft from cold to chilled. Lighter and refreshing beers are great in the hot summer sun or in the tropics.

This Okinawan beer is highly recommended alongside a glass of Awamori, beer and shot style.

All beer tastes better in a glass! Orion is no exception. A shaker pint will do a good job of allowing the aromas and flavors of this subtle beer to shine.

If you want the ultimate beer-drinking experience, I highly recommend Spiegelau Craft Pilsner and Libbey Stockholm Pilsner glasses. I may earn a commission from purchases made through these links. Both are under $30 and are top producers of beer glassware.

Food Pairing Recommendations

Orion is a great beer to serve alongside Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Spice is not a problem either. This supple and crisp beer washes strong flavors away, cleansing the palate for the next bite. For this reason, Orion is also recommended for fried and oily food.

Most lighter Japanese fare will also provide a good match.

Proper Beer Storage

Again, draft means unpasteurized— be sure to store this beer in a cold and dark place. Fresher is always better with beer, so be mindful of manufacture or born-on dates.

Technical & Product Information

Orion Premium Draft Beer

Mash Bill: malt, rice, corn, starch

Hops: German Hallertau

ABV: 5%   IBU: unknown

Calories: 210 (500 ml bottle)

Brewed year-round

Is Orion Beer Gluten Free?

Oftentimes called Orion rice lager, this beer is also made with a portion of malted barley. This means it is not a gluten-free beer.

Is Orion Craft Beer?

There is only one Orion brewery, but it is large and industrial. Considering Orion’s large production volume, it cannot be considered a craft beer. And legally in Japan, it does not qualify as a craft beer.

Still, Orion Okinawa beer is pretty darn tasty. If you’re drinking Japanese beer outside of Japan, Orion is a step up in quality compared to other major brands like Asahi, Sapporo, and Kirin.

The Orion Brewery in Okinawa

Brewery: Orion Beer (オリオンビール)   Location: Nago, Okinawa

Official Site      Wikipedia-Orion

Orion Beer is the smallest of Japan’s top five beer breweries. Asahi, Kirin, Suntory, and lastly Sapporo crowd the market. However, it is the only beer from this group brewed exclusively within Japan. It’s also the beer brewery of Okinawa.

Orion Draft is well-matched to the humid and tropical coastal climate. Orion’s American-style made it a local success. The brewery was founded by Sosei Gushiken in 1957. Okinawa has been home to a substantial US military presence since WWII ended— fueling its popularity.

Recently, a partnership with Asahi has helped spread their beers around the world. In return, Orion contract brews for Asahi and has helped them gain a foothold in Okinawa. 

Orion Shirts and Merchandise

Interested in Orion Beer merchandise? Take a look at these items from Amazon. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Orion Happy Park Okinawa

Orion Happy Park is located at the brewery in Okinawa. Tours allow you to see the brewery in operation, from fermentation to packaging. There’s a tasting session at the end, a restaurant called Yanbaru no Mori , and a shop where you can get merchandise.