Hokkaidō Brewery

Diehard beer fans will want to take the 40-minute train ride out to this current brewing and bottling facility, This mammoth production plant seems more like something out of a James Bond movie than a place where beer is made: technicians in white lab coats peer into test tubes; immaculate stainless-steel tanks are covered with computerised gauges and dials; and video cameras monitor the bottles as they whizz by.

The tour is self-guided and English is minimal, but you'll be rewarded with a refreshing 20 minutes to tipple at the end. Take the JR Chitose line towards the airport and get off at the Sapporo Beer Teien Station. Head away from the tracks towards the giant white silos with the Sapporo logo; the entrance is a 10-minute walk away.