Tokyo’s PDX Taproom is popular with Oregon tourists, and Japanese natives with Oregon connections.
Photo courtesy: Hope Jackson
Tokyo, Japan – A bar offering only Oregon-made beer celebrates its 10-year anniversary this month. But this isn’t just any corner pub. PDX Taproom is more than 9,000 miles from the Rose City.
Miyuki Hiramatsu has always had a special connection with Oregon. She studied here in high school, and then attended college at Linfield. “I liked Portland a lot,” she tells KXL News, “And after I came back to Tokyo, I started working at Columbia Sportswear Japan.” After 16 years with the Oregon-based company, Hiramatsu wanted to do something different, “I wanted to do something focused on Portland.”
A piece of PDX carpet hangs in Tokyo’s PDX Taproom.
Photo courtesy Hope Jackson.
She opened PDX Taproom in Tokyo in 2015, offering Oregon craft beer and cider. “I thought that would deliver not only the taste of beer, but also the culture and atmosphere – or vibes – through beer.” That vibe grew, as patrons contributed their own pieces of Portland. The bar now features Timbers gear, Blazers memorabilia, and a piece of the infamous PDX carpet even hangs in a frame on the wall. Hiramatso says, “There are many craft beer bars in Tokyo. But my bar is totally different because it’s themed Portland. So, people like not only craft beer, but also the culture [and] atmosphere.”
She estimates around two-thirds of her patrons are foreigners, and most of those are from Oregon. “Some accidentally find it. But I hear that many customers say the PDX Taproom is on their bucket list [when they] visit Japan.” But it’s also become a regular gathering spot for a group of Japanese University of Oregon grads.
Follow PDX Taproom on Instagram for more photos and information on special events.
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