Author: JBT Staff
The alcoholic beverage industry, including craft beer of course, has historically given the impression of being male-driven. However, there has been a steady trend of its members more actively welcoming women, as exemplified by initiatives such as the Pink Boots Society, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization established to support women working in the craft beer industry. The organization leads efforts to brew beer in conjunction with International Women’s Day on March 8, and the profits are reinvested into supporting women. In fact, opportunities for women in the industry have been expanding in recent years. Nozomi Iwase, the owner of Chigasaki Beer…
Founded in 1999, Yokohama Beer is the oldest brewery in the city. For over 25 years, its seasoned brewers have crafted clean, easy-to-drink beers appreciated by locals and far-flung fans alike. The brewery actively collaborates with the community to connect people and expand cultural ties through beer. Notable initiatives include the beer bike that cruises through Minato Mirai, a running club, and joint activities with local universities. Any time there’s something fun going on in the city, you’re likely to find Yokohama Beer there. One such initiative is the “Brewers One Series”, a special project where each Yokohama Beer brewer…
Alfa Laval’s centrifuges were one topic of our interview with James Fox of Kyoto Brewing Company in JBT60. As we noted, “a centrifuge is a machine that separates solids—such as yeast, hops, and proteins—from the liquid beer through centrifugal force, most often performed during the transfer from fermentation to the conditioning tank.” We’ve increasingly seen Alfa Laval’s centrifuges in craft breweries, but they’re pricey. Are they worth it? For a brewery experiencing demand and/or capacity issues, it’s a “no brainer” in the words of Fieldwork Brewing Company’s production team. This Berkeley, California-based brewery (imported to Japan by Nagano Trading) was…
Bad Beer is the Enemy T-Shirt ¥3,000 Size XS (160) S M L XL XXL XXXL (Super Beer Belly Size) Color Natural White Black Pink Burgundy Hop Green Official Japan Beer Times T-shirts feature our catch-phrase:BAD BEER IS THE ENEMY: just ask your doctor, counselor or best friend. 美味しくないビールは世の中の敵です。Text is hand printed (silk screen) on heavy-weight, quality cotton T-shirts. Several styles are available: beige lettering on burgundy, beige lettering on hop-green, white lettering on black, dark brown lettering on natural beige, dark brown on pink, and white lettering on black. Sizes are extra small (160) through to triple-extra-large. We also…
Schlechtes Bier ist der Feind T-shirt ¥3,000 Size XS (160) S M L XL XXL XXXL German version of our Bad Beer is the Enemy t-shirt in the colors of the German flag.Price includes tax and shipping.NOTE: PayPal account not required. Upon purchase checkout, just click the “continue” link on the left side under “Don’t have a PayPal account?”.
Craft Beer is My Life Blood¥3,000SizeXS (160)SMLXLXXLXXXL (Super Beer Belly Size) ColorBurgundyPrice includes tax and shipping.NOTE: PayPal account not required. Upon purchase checkout, just click the “continue” link on the left side under “Don’t have a PayPal account?”.
Exploring the Hidden Wonders of Akita Akita Prefecture offers so much more than its well-known tourist spots. Perhaps you’ve already visited the famous samurai district in Kakunodate, admired the vibrant fall colors while emerging from the tunnels of Dakigaeri Gorge, soaked in the centuries-old hot springs of Nyuto Onsen, or camped along the serene shores of Lake Tazawa. (If not, you definitely should!) But beyond these attractions, deeper adventures await in Akita’s wild and lesser-explored areas. Start Your Journey at Tazawako Station Tazawako Station is an ideal starting point for excursions into Akita’s wilderness. As with most of northern Tohoku,…
Yatsugatake Brewery in Hokuto, Yamanashi is an established brewery dating back to 1997. The first brewer was Kazumi Yamada, known widely for his role as the development manager for Kirin’s Ichiban Shibori. Since the brewery is located adjacent to the popular tourist spot Moegi no Mura ROCK in Kiyosato Kogen, their beers have been quenching the thirst of many visitors for over twenty-seven years. In June 2024, the brewery welcomed a new head brewer and a legendary figure of Japanese craft beer, Hiromichi (“Tentsu”) Miyashita, who worked for many years at Fujizakura Heights Beer in the same prefecture. This news…
StAnd you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?” —Once in a Lifetime, by Talking Heads Thirty years of craft beer in Japan is a milestone worth reflecting on. How did we get here? How did it all begin? What can we learn for the future? It’s a wild story of broad economic liberalization, sake breweries, wedding halls and hotels, tourism endeavors, maverick entrepreneurs, dozens of German brewers, opportunity and greed, and—ultimately—perseverance. Let me recount the tale as I remember it and have researched it over the years… ORIGINS In the early 1990s Japan was recovering from the…
Bad Beer is the Enemy Long Sleeve ¥4,000XS (160)SMLXLXXLXXXLPrice includes tax and shipping.NOTE: PayPal account not required. Upon purchase checkout, just click the “continue” link on the left side under “Don’t have a PayPal account?”.