The Liquor Tax Law of Japan was revised in April 1994, in which the annual minimum production of each brewery was reduced from 2,000 kilo liters to 60 kilo liters. This was the beginning of the history of Japan’s craft beer, and many microbreweries have been born since then.
They say there are more than two hundred micro-breweries in Japan at present. (The other some two hundred have already been closed.) Among them, Country-Japan firstly introduces you to eighty two breweries which are the member of Japan Brewers Association (JBA). Most of them run their own brewpub/restaurant. (see the Top page.)
Japan Brewers Association (JBA): http://www.beer.gr.jp/ (Japanese)
If you want to know more about Japan’s craft beer, it may be worth reading Japan Beer Times. Japan Beer Times is a quarterly magazine since 2010 written in English and Japanese. The latest volume (Winter 2017) is the 29th Issue. Japan Beer Times has its website, too.
Japan Beer Times: http://japanbeertimes.com/
The cover pages of the 28th (left) and 29th (right) issues
Another important book is “Craft beer in Japan, the essential guide” by Mark Meli printed in September 2013. This is the first guide to Japanese craft beer written in English which covers 219 microbreweries.
Craft Beer in Japan: http://japanbeertimes.com/shop/books/
Anyway, please enjoy Japan’s craft beer in the countryside of Japan.
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