Japanese Craft Beer: A Beginner’s Guide

Most people who drink can name at least one Japanese beer these days. Products by major breweries such as Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo and Suntory are now available around the world.

But ask about Japanese craft beer from microbreweries in Japan, and you're more likely to get blank looks.

Since the mid 1990s, the Japanese craft beer movement has steadily gained momentum and recognition in Japan (and beyond). Join us as we explore Japan using Japanese craft beers as our guide...

Japanese Craft Beer: A Beginner's Guide
by Rob Bright of BeerTengoku

Beer and Humans

Beer and humans have a long and storied history.

In fact, historians believe that beer’s history is so long that some of the first writings from Babylon, which mentioned beer in the Code of Hammurabi included laws regulating beer and places to buy beer. Beer even has its own goddess, Ninkasi, who is often praised to be the goddess of alcohol.

Nearly every country in the world consumes beer, and that has made it be the third most drunk beverage around the world – behind water and tea. Whiskey more your kind of beverage? Dekanta has some stunning Japanese whiskeys and they deliver worldwide in a few days.

Japan's Beer History

Japan also has its own history with beer, though not quite as long as the Babylonians. 

Beer was first introduced into Japan in the 17th century when Dutch sailors, who were stationed in Dejima, Nagasaki, wanted somewhere to drink. The Dutch traders at the time opened a beer hall strictly for those sailors working between Japan and the Dutch Empire.

Over time, and as Japan became more open to trade, other countries began to import their beer, with Bass Pale Ale and Bass Stout being two of the more popular brands at the time. Despite beer being popular, it wasn’t until the mid 19th century that the first domestic brewery opened up by a Norwegian-American called William Copeland.

While he might not be well-known, the brewery that he opened was called the Spring Valley Brewery, which later became the Kirin Brewery Company, and in what became a full-circle, later became Kirin Brewery’s efforts to crack the craft beer market.

Japan's Big Four: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, Suntory

When you think about beer in Japan, no doubt you will think of one of the big four brands: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory. Those four beers have dominated the beer scene for so long in Japan that the image of a beer is synonymous with the plump white head of a beer on top of the golden hues of a lager-style beer.

Those beers have become massive hits because they all hit different niches in the market.

Asahi Super Dry with its clean flavour is used to pair against Japanese cuisine, which is light in flavour. Kirin Ichiban has full malt flavour that is good for the first beer after a day at work. Sapporo evokes the image of Hokkaido and German-style pilsners. While Suntory is at the higher end of the beers and is used to show off quality and workmanship.

Some of these beers have become so popular that it possible to buy them overseas, with Asahi Super Dry, Kirin Ichiban, and Sapporo Draft being three examples that can be bought in many countries.

Birth of The Japanese Craft Beer Market

However, since 1994, the craft beer market has been steadily growing and has gone through a variety of changes after the government relaxed the limitations for making beer.

In the past, breweries needed to produce a minimum of 2 million litres of beer per year to obtain a license, well beyond the capacity of all small breweries.

In 1994, the government reduced this limitation down to 60,000 litres per year for a beer license, where only water, malt, hops, and yeast are allowed, or 6,000 litres for what is known as a happoshu licence, where a certain amount of the ingredients have to be non-beer ingredients, such as tea, fruit, or in some circumstances salmon.

Pale Ales and India Pale Ales

The craft beer market in Japan has its focus on beers that are primarily not lagers – why try to imitate the big four brands when they have been doing what they’re good at for years. Moreover, lagers tend to take a long time to make, with anywhere between 3 to 6 weeks for the whole process to be complete.

Craft beer breweries, those who produced smaller amounts of beer than the larger counterparts, have been influenced by both styles that were originally brought over by the brewers employed at the time, with a heavy focus on German style beers, but also styles that are popular in America, so pale ales and India pale ales.

Craft Tasting Notes: Characteristics and Communities

The flavours tend to vary wildly compared to lagers, with pale ales and IPAs focusing on more hops in the beers.

So citrus, tropical, and earthy flavours are more prominent; wheat beers focusing more on the wheat portion so creamy and oat, stouts and porters have a richer, darker flavour profile so chocolate, coffee, and cocoa are often noted.

Then there's the fruit beers using a variety of produce from local communities, so fruits like yuzu, hyuganatsu, grapes, and oranges can be found throughout the year.

6 Japanese Microbreweries You Should Try

If you’re looking to supplement your beer drinking with some Japanese craft beer, here is a list of breweries that we’ve enjoyed in Japan, and can be found across the country. If you can’t get to them, then you can also buy some of their beers online directly from their online stores (links below).

Minoh Beer (Osaka)

Opened in 1997, Minoh Beer started out when the late Oshita-san bought a brewery for two of her daughters, Kaori and Mayuko, and later their younger sister joined in.

Kyoto Brewing Company (Kyoto)

Founded in 2015, Kyoto Brewing Company has been a story of continued success ever since. The three people behind KBC (as they’re often called) are Chris Hainge, Paul Speed, and Benjamin Falck.

The beers from KBC have a strong Belgian influence, from the yeast used, to the style of beer. The hops used at KBC also show a global connection as imported hops from the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Slovenia, and the UK are all used in some of their beers.

 
Shiga Kogen (Nagano)

Tamamura Honten started brewing Shiga Kogen Beer, like several other breweries such as Kiuchi Brewery, as an offshoot from a sake brewery.

West Coast Brewing (Shizuoka)

West Coast Brewing is a Japanese brewery located in Mochimune, in Shizuoka, Japan.

They operate out of a new tourist facility that was renovated from a building that was previously used as a tuna processing plant. The building stood unused for more than a decade after traders withdrew in around 2005 due to the tightening of international tuna catch regulations.

TDM 1874 (Kanagawa)

TDM 1874, which stands for Ten Day Market with the year coming from when the original company was founded, is a brewpub located in Tokaichiba, Kanagawa.

Japanese Craft Beer Tours

To accompany this article, we've pulled together a selection of tours across Japan, that enable you to visit microbreweries, sample some Japanese craft beers, and to experience the culture that surrounds drinking in Japan...

Explore Tokyo's Nakano area on a local food tour

In this private guided tour, you'll sample three essential types of Tokyo cuisine at super local restaurants, enjoy authentic sake at old-fashioned bars, and learn about the traditions of Japanese food and drink culture all in one trip.

Relax in the waters of Asuka no Yu, the annex of the famous Dogo Onsen Honkan, one of Japan’s oldest bathhouses and be in awe at the beautiful design. Afterward, have a tasting experience at a nearby standing bar that serves Dogo beer.

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