An ongoing evolution: 25 years of craft beer in Japan
In its first 25 years, Japanese craft beer has faced its share of challenges. Cultivating Craft wraps up with a look at how far the craft beer boom has come, but also what industry experts say needs to improve.
Beer Pub Takumiya: A place to talk, a place to drink
Takumi Shiraishi owns three lively craft beer pubs across Kyoto where he encourages customers to commune over a good pint and plates of locally grown food.
Coedo Brewery's beer is rooted in agriculture
A desire to use perfectly edible produce deemed "unsuitable" for sale led Coedo Brewery to innovate with local ingredients in beer, and now its brews are on shelves nationwide.
For Shonan Beer, quality and locality drive success
Investment in the local Kanazawa Prefecture market and a focus on the quality of the beer are the keys to success for Shonan Beer.
Kirin's Spring Valley Brewery to introduce beer-a-day subscription service at Ginza restaurant
Tokyo-based Spring Valley Brewery Co. will start a monthly subscription service to allow customers to try one glass of a selected beer each weekday. Customers will be able to choose a 250-milliliter glass of beer from a lineup of up to 17 varieties each weekday ...
Homebrewing in Japan: Craft beer's creative foundation
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?
Hinomoto Beer Parlor: Drink locally, eat independently
It wouldn't be wrong to call Hinomoto a pub. After all it's a craft beer specialist, with 10 taps all devoted to Japanese beers and a counter where you can sit and drink to your heart's content. But that doesn't tell the whole story ...
For Locobeer, success starts close to home
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.
Schmatz Nakameguro: From food truck to prime premises
Timing and location are everything. For the Tokyo-based German beer pub Schmatz, both were in perfect alignment when its latest branch opened in Nakameguro, overlooking the sakura (cherry blossom) trees lining the river just as they were about to blossom.
Perseverance pays off for SanktGallen Brewery
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.
From one keg to 1,000, Baird Beer is still growing
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 ...
Fujizakura Heights Beer: Bending the rules of traditional German beer
At Fujizakura Heights Beer, Hiromichi Miyashita pushes the boundaries of Japanese brewing tradition by fusing German and modern American styles.
