Food & Drink Dec 24, 2020
American brewer pushing recovery through craft beer in Tohoku
James Watney, head brewer for Black Tide Brewing in Kesennuma, wants to use his product to create a positive image of the town.
Food & Drink | TOKYO FOOD FILE Nov 28, 2020
A genteel craft beer crawl through Kamakura
by Robbie Swinnerton
Being a tourist can be thirsty work, even in the genteel surrounds of Kamakura. Here are six of the former samurai capital’s best watering holes.
People | 20 QUESTIONS Nov 28, 2020
Craft brewer Sean Collett: 'If you chase two rabbits, you'll catch neither'
by Iain Maloney
The founders of Two Rabbits Brewing Company have brought their corner of the craft beer market to Shiga Prefecture, a perfect place to burrow down.
Food & Drink Oct 24, 2020
Japan’s craft beer industry looks to maintain connections with fans
by Jeremy Wilgus
From tax breaks to take-out alcohol and trimmed-down events, bars and breweries transform their neighborhood ties.
Food & Drink Oct 10, 2020
After a summer without craft beer festivals, where does the industry go from here?
by Jeremy Wilgus
For Japan’s craft beer, festivals and events are key to industry growth. Cancelations have left breweries and staff scrambling to make up lost income.
Food & Drink | TOKYO FOOD FILE Aug 15, 2020
Omnipollos Tokyo: A bold, boozy newcomer to the craft beer scene
by Robbie Swinnerton
Omnipollo is no run-of-the-mill craft beer company, and its first Japanese outpost, Omnipollos Tokyo, lives up to the brand’s quirky reputation.
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.