Craft beer in Japan is experiencing a second renaissance. However, many of Japan's breweries are still trying to catch up to the innovation and skill level of their overseas counterparts. Could legalizing homebrewing help boost creativity?

With only one full-time employee, Chiba Prefecture-based Locobeer has kept its local focus for over 20 years, all the while brewing an award-winning and eclectic lineup of beer.

With its innovative craft beers and approach to marketing, SanktGallen Brewery has established itself in Japan's craft beer world not just once, but twice.

As Japanese brewing regulations relaxed in the mid-1990s, it wasn't uncommon for large Japanese resort companies to open breweries. One such brewery, Harvestmoon, is owned and operated by Oriental Land Company (OLC), which runs the Disney theme parks in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture. Harvestmoon's connection to ...

For Baird Brewing, perseverance and the cultivation of a loyal fan base has made it a rarity in Japanese craft beer: a truly independent brewery. Lacking the shelter of a parent company, it has created a line of taprooms to spread its concept of ...

At Fujizakura Heights Beer, Hiromichi Miyashita pushes the boundaries of Japanese brewing tradition by fusing German and modern American styles.

Compared to the typical American craft beer company, many craft beer companies in Japan belong to larger, sometimes much older, parent companies. One of the clearest examples of this is Ise Kadoya Microbrewery. Kadoya is the brewing arm of Nikenjayamochi Kadoya Honten, which dates back ...

A vibrant part of Japan's craft beer community since 1997, family-run Minoh Beer has been pushing the boundaries of brewing by harnessing local flavors — and they have the international awards to prove it.

The secret is long since out: Japan's craft beer scene is a vibrant place, filled with innovative brewers creating new and interesting beers alongside masterful examples of traditional styles.

In conversation with Bashamichi Taproom, Smokehouse and Hatos Bar, three of the OGs of Japan's barbecue scene.