Food & Drink | TOKYO FOOD FILE Jul 4, 2020
Mikkeller Kanda: A killer beer-burger combination
by Robbie Swinnerton
With 12 taps of craft beer, premium burgers and funky environs, Mikkeller Kanda is a welcome addition to Tokyo’s dining scene.
Food & Drink Jun 4, 2020
With bars and restaurants largely empty of revelers during the outbreak, craft beer consumption dried up and left owners needing a near-miracle.
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.
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 | TOKYO FOOD FILE Oct 5, 2019
Two Fingers gets two thumbs up for craft beer and cooking
by Robbie Swinnerton
Two Fingers is a bright little eight-tap, 15-seater pub in the residential streets in northwestern Ikebukuro that was opened in February by two enthusiasts who turned their shared passion for beer into a classic labor-of-love project.
Food & Drink | Cultivating Craft Aug 31, 2019
An ongoing evolution: 25 years of craft beer in Japan
by Jeremy Wilgus
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.
Food & Drink | KYOTO RESTAURANTS Aug 24, 2019
Beer Pub Takumiya: A place to talk, a place to drink
by J.J. O'Donoghue
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.
Food & Drink | Cultivating Craft Aug 3, 2019
Coedo Brewery's beer is rooted in agriculture
by Jeremy Wilgus
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.
Food & Drink | Cultivating Craft Jul 6, 2019
For Shonan Beer, quality and locality drive success
by Jeremy Wilgus
Investment in the local Kanazawa Prefecture market and a focus on the quality of the beer are the keys to success for Shonan Beer.
Food & Drink | Cultivating Craft Jun 1, 2019
Homebrewing in Japan: Craft beer's creative foundation
by Jeremy Wilgus
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?
Food & Drink | TOKYO FOOD FILE Jun 1, 2019
Hinomoto Beer Parlor: Drink locally, eat independently
by Robbie Swinnerton
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 ...
Food & Drink | Cultivating Craft May 4, 2019
For Locobeer, success starts close to home
by Jeremy Wilgus
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.