Discovering Japan's Microbrewing Scene

The microbrewers of Japan are facing trouble — but it's not the first time.

They have been on a long and difficult road ever since the microbrew scene started there in 1994, when the Japanese government repealed strict laws that prohibited breweries producing less than two million liters of beer annually from obtaining a brewer's license. The law was amended so that breweries would only have to produce (a much more manageable) 60,000 liters per year to be considered a true brewery. Since then, local microbrewers have been trying to force their way into the beer market in Japan, which ranks as the seventh largest beer-consuming country in the world. While there was an initial boom of microbreweries in 1995, a great deal were soon driven out of business by the big names in Japanese beer — Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin, and Suntory — who had long ruled over the market and were unwilling to share with these new, smaller operations.

This stiff competition, along with Japan's outdated beer taxes, forced many budding microbreweries out of business. Still, a small number pushed through and there was a slow, steady trickle of microbrewers onto the beer scene up until 2000. Right around this time, however, the Japanese economy faced a major meltdown, and just like many other Japanese industries, the microbrewing scene was hit hard and people started to fade out of the market. The number of Japanese microbreweries has been dwindling since, and many are only barely holding on.

That's not to say there isn't a significant microbrewing scene there. Small, tight-knit Japanese microbrewers have been making waves in recent years — receiving awards from the International Beer Cup and earning praise from some of the most well-known brewers in the world. These beers are often hailed as inventive and finely crafted, sometimes featuring unusual ingredients indigenous to Japan.

At a recent lecture on "Japan's Beer Revolution," hosted by the Japan Society in New York City, there were brews made with ingredients like Japanese sweet potato, green tea, and yuzu. Baird Brewing Co., for example, makes a deliciously tart plum beer. Other labels, like Echigo Koshihikari and Hitachino Nest, have been inspired by a simple, ubiquitous ingredient: Japanese rice. The latter makes a Red Rice Ale that offers a hearty, toasted rice flavor and a sweet, sake-like aftertaste.

(photo courtesy Flickr/Bernt Rostad)

Only recently have Japanese beer enthusiasts and sake brewers (who are at the forefront of the craft beer movement) started making pilgrimages to the U.S. to discover the world of microbrewing. They face three main challenges, though. For one, breaking into a market which is dominated by large corporations. Two, finding a consumer base, which is difficult because while Japan does drink beer, not many know that there's craft brew available beyond the cheap and plentiful stuff they're used to. And finally, surviving the market, a challenge because of the government's substantial taxes.

If you want to see what all the fuss over this new generation of Japanese artisan beers is about, well, get ready, because you're in for a hunt. Many of the Japanese microbreweries are still too small of an operation to ship to the United States, so the selection is limited. Still, here are a few that pop up at restaurants and specialty markets (and some Whole Foods stores too!): Baird Brewing Co., Hitachino Nest (their White Ale has placed in the Japan Beer Cup, the World Beer Cup, and the International Beer Summit), Coedo Beniaka (a clean, crisp, and fruity lager with a hypnotizing hue), and Echigo Koshihikari (weird as it may sound, it has the unmistakable taste of perfectly cooked rice). These beers are known for their technically executed precision, as well as their subtle, hidden-under-the-surface flavors. Look for flavors of citrus and spices, clean and super crisp pilsners, and smooth textures.

These are the products of craftsmen who, in spite of being in the face of great adversity — political, economic, natural, what have you — are holding on to what they love and making truly great beers that are worth a taste, and definitely some support.