Kichijoji is rather void of good drinking places. There are a couple of hubs near the station, a bar called Holic which doesn’t stick to its opening hours and I’ve never seen open once in 3 years, a bar called Rogue that doesn’t serve Rogue beers or anything halfway decent – but if you want craft beers, Bicke is probably your only option.

Unfortunately Bicke can be quite difficult to track down.

Map to Bicke

From the Keio JR station, take south exit and turn right. Pass the McDonald’s and keep going until you get to the main road, then keep going again until you get to the crossing. At the crossing turn right and go under the bridge, then follow the road until you get to the large Tokyu. Take the street to the right of the Tokyu and Bicke is a few blocks down on the left. Here’s a link to Google Street View facing the building – Bicke is on the 3rd floor. There’s another map on Bicke’s website (though it’s pretty useless).

Inside Bicke

Inside Bicke is a reasonable size, if a little dark. The menu, though, makes seeking out the bar worth the trek.

A UK pint of Shiga Kogen IPA

There are about 5 guest beers on tap at any one time. When I visited they had the gorgeous Shiga Kogen IPA – at 780 yen for a half pint it was pretty expensive, but add an extra 500 yen for a full UK pint and the price becomes a bit more reasonable. Most places charge around 1000 yen for a US pint of this beer - a UK pint contains 25% more than a US pint.

Food was reasonable with the caesar salad and chicken with onion rings both being tasty (though the onion rings were from frozen rather than fresh). I’d be happy to eat here.

Bicke’s phone number is: 0422-21-8755. This site has a coupon – free beer tasters (very small glasses!) and a 5% discount at the time of writing (if you spend a minimum of 2000 yen per person).

Warning: Bicke is closed Wednesdays.

My verdict? Bicke is a tad expensive for half pints, better for full pints – but it is the only place with decent beer that opens reliably in Kichijoji, and for that point alone, I’ve been very thankful for Bicke’s existence a number of times.