Founded in 1957 as Okinawa Breweries, Orion Breweries came to being while Okinawa was under American occupation. For years, the small company struggled to compete with its Japanese counterparts, but fortune changed in 1959 when the company garnered support from the Government of the Ryukyu Islands and the U.S. Civil Administration, who were developing strategies to help local businesses and thus boost the island's economy. In the same year, the company changed its name from Okinawa Breweries to Orion (pronounced or-ee-on as opposed to or-eye-on) Breweries, after the starry constellation of a Greek hunter. Additionally, Orion changed its recipe to an American type of beer from a German style.

Founders chose the brewery's Nago location specifically for its closeness to a fresh water source. Because Mt. Nago provided fresh, clean water, the company didn't have to pay the prefecture for water rights. Today, many attribute Orion's flavor to this fresh water.

The production of beer at the brewery is divided into six distinct stages, including the ingredients stage, the mashing stage, the fermentation process, the filtration process, the bottling and canning stage, and the final quality-inspection stage. Ingredients include malt, corn starch, corn grits, rice, water, and hops. Orion imports malt from across the globe, including Canada, Australia, Germany, and various other European countries, while the hops come specifically from Germany and the Czech Republic.

Orion Brewery is currently the fifth largest brewery in Japan and turns out roughly one percent of all Japanese beer products and more than half of Okinawa's beer products. In 2004, Japanese beer giant Asahi Breweries purchased 10 percent of Orion's stock; in the purchase agreement, Asahi agreed to market Orion in mainland and Orion agreed to brew Asahi beer and distributes it locally.

Orion Brewery offers so visitors can witness first-hand each stage in the beer making process. These tours are free to the general public. Tours are given on weekdays and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and again from noon to 4 p.m. The tour is approximately a half-hour long. A tour guide escorts tourists through the brewery and explains each action in the factory. The brewery also offers a short video on the processes of the assembly line and concludes with free samples. Soft drinks are also available, as are souvenirs from the Orion gift shop. Tours are given in Japanese, although English speaking tour guides are available if needed. Guests must request and English speaking guide prior to arriving at the brewery.

To get to the Orion Brewery, take Highway 58 until you reach Route 84. (Alternatively, take the Expressway to its terminus in Nago.) Turn right onto Route 84 and follow the road until you see Orion Brewery on the right. Orion Brewery is located next to the Nago Museum and only a few hundred feet from the Nago Castle ruins.

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