Food & Drink Nov 9, 2019
Tokyo Aleworks: Keeping its doors open to the community
by Jeremy Wilgus
Tokyo Aleworks offers periodic one-day brewing classes for customers to try their hand at making beer, just one way it opens its doors to young brewers and the local community.
Business / Corporate Nov 6, 2019
Asahi to again slash full-year forecast as overseas push leaves brewer vulnerable
Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. lowered its annual sales and profit forecast again as its $22 billion push into overseas markets makes Japan's largest brewer more vulnerable to currency swings. Consumption in the domestic market has also weakened. Operating profit will probably be ¥202 billion ($1.9 billion) ...
Business Nov 1, 2019
For Akiyoshi Koji, Asahi's bold dealmaker, beer remains at heart of global growth strategy
by Lisa Du and Grace Huang
The biggest dealmaker in Japan this year has one thing on his mind: beer, and then more beer — more than $20 billion worth of it in the past four years, to be precise. Never mind that people around the globe are drinking less, with ...
Business / Economy Oct 30, 2019
Japan beer shipments to South Korea plummet 99.9% in September from year earlier
Japan's beer shipments to South Korea plummeted 99.9 percent in September from a year earlier to ¥588,000, as consumers in the neighboring country boycott Japanese products amid deteriorating bilateral ties, government data showed Wednesday. The campaign to boycott Japanese goods, including vehicles, has spread widely ...
Business / Corporate Oct 25, 2019
Asahi still keen to keep buying months after $11 billion AB InBev deal
Three months after shelling out $11 billion for Anheuser-Busch InBev's Australian operations, Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. plans to keep growing via more deals. Japan's largest brewer wants to establish more hubs globally beyond Europe and Australia, Chief Executive Officer Akiyoshi Koji said in an interview ...
National Oct 23, 2019
Fans toast beer hawkers' debut at Rugby World Cup
by Andrew McKirdy
Dilemma: You are watching a Rugby World Cup game at a stadium and you fancy a beer, but you don't want to take your eyes off the action. Do you get out of your seat and go and find a concession stand somewhere? At this ...
Business Oct 19, 2019
Brave Blossoms jerseys and other goods prove popular as Japan hosts World Cup
Jerseys and other items related to the Japanese national team for the 2019 Rugby World Cup have been flying off the shelves due to the Brave Blossoms' impressive run in the tournament. The team's jerseys were almost sold out, with many of some 20 stores ...
Business / Corporate Oct 11, 2019
Japan's four major brewers log sharp sales growth in September, buoyed by Rugby World Cup
All four major Japanese brewers enjoyed double-digit sales growth for beer and beer-like products in September compared to the same month a year before, thanks to the ongoing Rugby World Cup in Japan, according to the companies' data. Since the start of the sporting event, ...
Food & Drink Oct 10, 2019
Craft beer boom spells hope for hops in Iwate town
by Keita Nakamura
Encouraged by the craft beer boom, the city of Tono in Iwate Prefecture has been welcoming outsiders wanting to try new ways to revive its hop-growing industry and transform the community into a "beer town." Japan imports about 95 percent of hops for domestic beer ...
Food & Drink Oct 9, 2019
Ebisu Food Grand Prix: Searching for the taste of Ebisu
by Andrew Lee
At this year's Yebisu Beer x Ebisu Food Grand Prix, which goes until Oct. 31, 51 bars are offering a special food item paired with a glass of Yebisu beer. Many locals make the event an annual pilgrimage, aiming to visit all participating locations ...
Books / Reviews | RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN Oct 6, 2019
'The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks': A compendium of Japan's alcohol traditions
by Iain Maloney
Stephen Lyman and Chris Bunting's "The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks" is a beautiful, carefully put together coffee-table book full of insights, anecdotes and thirst-inducing pictures of Japan's various alcohols.