The Asahi Flame

The Asahi Beer Hall, or Super Dry Hall, is a building adjacent to the headquarters of Asahi Breweries. It’s home to a three-story restaurant serving beer straight from the factory.

Designed by French designer Philippe Starck, the building was completed in 1989. Its shape is supposed to resemble a beer glass, while the headquarters building is shaped like a beer-filled mug complete with suds. 

The building is topped with the Asahi Flame, also known as Flamme d’Or. The monument of a golden fire is said to represent the burning heart of Asahi beer and was inspired by the Olympic flame.

Unfortunately, that’s not how it looks to most people. Locals and tourists alike are often confused by the monument’s ambiguous shape.  It’s now commonly referred to as the “Golden Turd.” The building has earned its own nickname as well, “the Poo Building.”