Ebisu is one of the more popular districts in Shibuya and was founded back in 1928 as a community developed around the Japan Beer Brewery Company (now known as Sapporo Breweries Limited) which was known for Yebisu Beer in 1890.
Named after the Japanese god of fisherman and luck, Ebisu is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune and so the region was named after him and you can see his statue in front of Ebisu Station.
While Yebisu Beer is now incorporated to Sapporo, Yebisu Beer still lives on as part of Sapporo’s “luxury” beers and as for Ebisu, and the brewery moved to Chiba. But while the moving of the brewery could of seen as a downward trend of an area dependent on the company for jobs, one of the cool things in Japan is that economic development is important and it paved the way for major urban development of Yebisu Garden Place which opened in 1994.
But while Ebisu’s roots are centered around brewery and food back then, it still revolves around restaurants and pubs today. In fact, many of the coolest restaurants and bars can be found in this area.
But Yebisu Garden Place is awesome as it still is the HQ for Sapporo Breweries, the location features the Museum of Yebisu Beer, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Yebisu Garden Place Tower and so much more.
The location is also one of the most visited areas during the Christmas holiday due to the Christmas illumination at Yebisu Garden place.
For the most part, it’s a beautiful place but it’s one of those quick visits that should be made after a nice dinner or if you are out shopping in the area.
But for the most part, it’s a great place to go on a date and enjoy the scenery.
