Kanpai! Walk around any major Japanese city and it won’t be long before you see the gleaming lights and hanging pub sign of a HUB Bar or 82 Ale House.
One of Japan’s biggest bar chains with over 100 pubs, the 82 Ale House and HUB pubs are British themed pubs that have (VERY) happy hours, pub grub style food plus bar interiors just like British pubs. They also operate several Irish Celt Pubs in Japan where the Guinness flows freely.
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The bars are popular with both locals (especially ‘salary men’) and overseas tourists (particularly from Europe, the USA and Australia). Whilst it may not be a traditional Japanese night out, it does make for a fun bar experience in Japan (and is a nice bit of Britain in Japan).
A little bit of British pub culture in Japan, raise your glass to our guide to drinking and eating in 82 Ale Houses and Hub British bars in Japan.
This article was originally published on 19 September 2023.
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The History of Hub Pubs / 82 Ale Houses
There are over 100 ‘HUB bars’ and ‘82 Ale Houses’ across Japan, which began in 1980 with their first HUB bar in Sannomiya, Kobe.
82 Ale Houses then began to open in the mid 1990’s with a slightly different food and drink offering and more focus on ales.
Local entrepreneur Isao Nakauchi, already a big player in the discount supermarket world, visited England and fell in love with the British pubs he visited and decided to recreate the experience in Japan.
To keep costs low and replicate his successful supermarket model, customers are required to order their food and drinks themselves at the bar, meaning savings on service could drive down alcohol costs – hence HUB pubs and 82 Ale Houses became a big player in the Japanese bar scene. They have since added Irish Celt Pubs to the mix too.
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Visiting a HUB Bar / 82 Ale House in Japan
It is easy to spot a Hub pub or Ale House – they are generally located in buildings with multiple bars either in the basement or on the first or second level.
As you walk in, you are warmly greeted by a member of staff and allowed to find your table.
Often staff at HUB / 82 Ale House will offer you a British themed shopping bag (sometimes with a red London double decker bus on it) to put your belongings in, if you don’t want to put them on the floor (or to hang them securely below your table).
The interiors at HUB bars / 82 Ale Houses in Japan often feel authentic. Most (but not all) have gorgeous wooden walls, carpeted floors, London memorabilia glued to the walls plus a British style serving bar complete with draft beer taps.
As Brits who regularly go out drinking in London, we can say honestly say some of the HUB pubs really capture the spirit of a British pub. Two of the best in our opinion were the HUB Sannomiya Moonlight Bldg in Kobe and the HUB Lotte City Hotel Kinshicho in Tokyo.
There are some nice touches and attention to detail going on too like serving fish and chips with British style malt vinegar plus serving beer and cider in pint style glasses.
As well as a safe drinking environment, one of the great things about the HUB pubs and 82 Ale Houses is there is no cover charge plus free WIFI and cheap as chips drinks – great for overseas travellers on a budget!
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Ordering at 82 Ale House / Hub Bar
Many bars and restaurants in Japan operate a tablet ordering service or table service – the HUB pub bars and 82 Ale Houses are a little different and follow the British pub system where you pay and order at the bar.
Once seated, you’ll find all the menus you need on your table – all the menus are in English and Japanese.
When you are ready to order, head on up to the British style bar and place your order. Most staff speak good English – or just point to what you want on the menu.
Pay when you order and are served your drinks immediately. If you’ve also ordered food, you’ll be given a numbered flag to place on your table. Easy!
Note that this ‘cash on delivery’ system at 82 Ale House / HUB and ordering at the counter is quite unusual / unique for Japanese bars. We quite like it as it makes the service a bit quicker and you don’t have to hang around waiting for the bill.
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HUB Happy Hour / 82 Ale House
The reason why HUB bars and 82 Ale House are so popular in Japan is that they are comparatively cheap to most other bars.
As well as drink offers during off-peak periods like 20% or 30% off selected drinks (usually in the daytime), they offer an incredible Happy Hour – dare we say this might be the best Happy Hour in Japan.
Every day from 5 to 7pm, the HUB bar Happy Hour offers discounted drinks with a free portion of food.
The Hub Happy Hour price between 5pm and 7pm is 750 Yen (£4, $5 USD, 4.75 Euros) for selected highballs, cocktails, wine or spirit based drinks with a free portion of food.
2025 Hub Pub beer prices are 1,050 yen for a pint of their own brand Hub Ale or Hub Craft IPA, 900 Yen for a pint of Kirin or 1,100 Yen for a pint of Guinness. For a 150ml glass of red or white house wine at hub, it costs 480 yen as of October 2025.
Alternatively for beer and cider lovers, it is 950 Yen (£5, $6.50 USD, 6 Euros) for a pint of Kirin Beer or pint of draft apple cider with free food.
The ‘free’ Happy Hour food at HUB bar is a choice of:
- Bite size fish and chips
- Chicken and chips
- Roast Beef
- Jamon Curado and salami meat platter
We’ve tried both the HUB fish and chips and the chicken and chips are both really good, especially the karaage style chicken.
Just remember the portion sizes are quite small and more of a snack than a full meal. It is a very good value Happy Hour deal and a good way to spend two hours eating and drinking in Japan.
It is also a culinary change if you fancy a break from oodles of noodles or have already had a river of ramen.
As Happy Hour is nearing the end, the staff ring ‘last orders’ giving you one last chance to buy low price pints and one final cheeky cocktail at the bar.
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What food can you order?
Most of the food is very pub grub / fast food style offerings but there are also a few salad and healthier items.
Some of the food dishes and prices at HUB bar include:
- Caesar salad for 400 Yen
- Buffalo chicken wings for 500 Yen
- Edamame for 400 Yen
- 7 pieces of fish and chips for 700 Yen – complete with British style Malt Vinegar
- British style beef curry for 900 Yen
- Spicy Pizza with herb sausages and cheddar cheese – 500 Yen half, 900 Yen large
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Live Sports and Theming
Other than the British pub style interiors and great Happy Hour drink prices, these British theme bars are very popular for their live sports.
So if your visit coincides with a baseball or soccer game, you are in for a great atmosphere and very busy bar.
Most HUBs have several large TV screens plus some have local sporting memorabilia on the walls too.
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Opening Hours
How long are HUB bars and pubs / 82 Ale Houses open in Japan? Whilst HUBs are not open for 24/7 drinking, most are open from 4pm or 5pm until 11pm Monday to Thursday and close somewhere between 3am to 6am on Friday to Sundays.
That said, some HUB bars open much earlier – for instance, HUB bar Akihabara opens most days at 11.30am.
The longer 82 Ale House / HUB opening hours can generally be found in the larger cities.
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Where to find 82 Ale Houses and HUB bars in Japan
We found these Japanese British bars in all the major cities in Japan, from Kobe to Kyoto, Nagoya to Osaka (one of the few exceptions was Nagano – best to enjoy local craft beer breweries there).
The highest number of HUB bars and 82 Ale Houses can be found in Tokyo, where they have a presence in most neighbourhoods and particularly in the CBD / downtown areas.
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Who goes to Hub Bars in Japan?
Pretty much any one who drinks! In the week, HUB pubs and 82 Ale Houses are very popular with workers (‘salary men’) and after-work groups plus tourists.
We found HUB pubs to be a little quieter at weekends, but busier when sports games were on (like baseball and soccer). When we went to HUB bars on the weekends, it was generally curious tourists or expats plus groups of Japanese girls / women.
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Do Hub / 82 Ale House serve craft beer?
Yes, as well as their own range of beers like Hub Ale, this Japanese chain of British style bars serve up craft beer and often do collaborations with local breweries. They often have BrewDog on tap too for 1,290 Yen a pint (some say this is craft beer but we aren’t so sure…)
For the best selection of traditional and craft ales, 82 Ale House edges it over HUB.
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Which is the best Hub Bar / 82 Ale House in Japan?
Obviously this is hard to say as there are over 100 Hub pubs and 82 Ale Houses in Japan – many are in dimly lit basement areas but all have superb interiors.
One of our own favourite Japan HUB bars is in Nagoya, the HUB Grampus Pub Mirai Tower.
It is one of the biggest HUB pubs but also has an incredible beer garden that is directly below that looks up towards the beautiful Mirai Tower (a TV Tower from the 1950s that now has a restaurant and observation deck).
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Are the bars safe?
Yes, we never had any issues in any of the 82 Ale Houses or HUBs we visited. There were always lots of staff on hand to help out plus they also offered a bag to put your valuables in and hang it under the table (we never needed them).
That said, as the drinks at HUB / 82 Ale House are pretty cheap (especially during Happy Hour), we did occasionally see some very intoxicated patrons (i.e. very p*ssed) – one guy even fell asleep at his table in the Kobe HUB pub we visited!
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Is there a cover charge for HUB Bars / 82 Ale House?
Many Japanese bars and pubs have a cover charge which you pay as you enter or which is added to your bill / check at the end.
There are no cover charges or additional fees at HUB / 82 Ale House / Irish Pub Celts so what you see on the menu is the final price you pay.
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Are the British themed 82 Ale Houses and HUB pubs authentic?
As Brits visiting Japan, we would say that the vast majority of HUB bars and 82 Ale Houses do feel authentic.
From the pint style glasses to the malt vinegar served with British style fish and chips, these touches combined with the homely interiors.
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How many HUB bar / pubs are there in Japan?
There are just under 110 Hub Pubs / 82 Ale Houses in Japan as of September 2023.
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When is the Happy Hour?
The HUB happy hour is available daily from 5pm to 7pm and charges 950 Yen for a pint of Kirin beer or cider with a free food dish or 750 Yen for wine, Highballs or spirits with food.
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Do HUB Bars / 82 Ale Houses serve pints in Japan?
Yes and no – HUB pub bars and 82 Ale Houses do serve their beers and ales in larger British style pint glasses but based on our observations, they look to be less than the usual British 568ml pint and more like the schooner style glass.
That said, the servings are much bigger than the typical 330 ml beer glasses you get in Japan so cheers and Kanpai to that!
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