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Japanese Craft Beer | Breweries, Styles & Ji-beer History

A pale green hop cone growing on the vine
Photo: Nikita Karasik / CC BY-SA 4.0
Close-up of malted barley grains for brewing

09CRAFT BEER — JI-BEER

A 1994 revision of the Liquor Tax Act lowered the minimum annual volume required for a beer licence, and small breweries appeared across Japan. Known then as ji-beer (local beer), the movement now spans a wide range of craft styles.

Malt, hops, yeast and water — and, for some brewers, local fruit, rice or citrus. Japanese craft beer lives where style conventions meet regional character.

THE BIRTH OF JI-BEER

In April 1994 an amendment to the Liquor Tax Act cut the minimum annual production for a beer licence from 2,000 kL to 60 kL.

Source: NTA ↗
Read the story

BEER STYLES

Styles are a way in, not a verdict. Each beer's style is recorded as the brewer states it.

Wide green grain field with the Tokachi mountain range on the horizon
Photo: pakku / CC BY 3.0
A

Producers

  1. 01Kiuchi Brewery (Hitachino Nest Beer)木内酒造（常陸野ネストビール）EST. 1823
  2. 02Yo-Ho BrewingヤッホーブルーイングEST. 1997
  3. 03Ise Kadoya Brewery (Nikenjaya Mochi Kadoya Honten)伊勢角屋麦酒（二軒茶屋餅角屋本店）EST. 1997
  4. 04Minoh Beer箕面ビールEST. 1996
  5. 05Fujizakura Heights Beer (Fuji Kanko Kaihatsu)富士桜高原麦酒（富士観光開発）—
B

Drinks

ABV, polishing ratio, vintage, age and similar details appear only when confirmed by an official source.

  1. Hitachino Nest Beer—
  2. Yona Yona Ale—
  3. Ise Kadoya Pale Ale—
  4. Minoh Stout—
  5. Minoh Pale Ale—
  6. Fujizakura Rauch—
  7. Fujizakura Weizen—
G

Gallery

Product names, labels and logos shown are trademarks of their respective owners. Photographs are used under their creators' licences.
C

Stories

SOURCES

  1. 1ビール・発泡酒に関するもの（お酒の豆知識）国税庁 東京国税局 National Tax Agency, Tokyo · Government · accessed 2026-09-26
  2. 2酒類の製造免許における最低製造数量基準の在り方について（税務大学校論叢110号）国税庁 税務大学校 National Tax College · Government · accessed 2026-09-26

PHOTO CREDITS

All image credits →
  1. 1Brewhouse — Jens Cederskjold · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  2. 2Hop cones — Nikita Karasik · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  3. 3Malted barley — Pierre-alain dorange · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  4. 4Barley field — pakku · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  5. 5Glass of beer — JIP · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  6. 6AQULA Brewery — 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  7. 7Asuka Shijin Beer Seiryu IPA — ドクター・イエロー · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  8. 8Baeren Brewery — GENMEI Japan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  9. 9Two-row barley field — Pekachu · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  10. 10Coedo Beniaka — Romainbehar · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  11. 11Coedo beer — Romainbehar · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  12. 12Dogo Beer Madonna — Hyougushi · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  13. 13Echigo Beer — nesnad · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  14. 14Hakodate Beer — 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  15. 15Ishigaki Island Beer weizen — Hideyuki KAMON · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  16. 16Japanese wild hop — Qwert1234 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  17. 17Kabuto Beer — Evelyn-rose · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  18. 18Kiuchi Brewery — regvn · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  19. 19Kiuchi Brewery — regvn · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  20. 20OKD Kominka Brewing — Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  21. 21Otaru Beer — Braveheart · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  22. 22Black beer at Popeye, Ryogoku — calflier001 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  23. 23Sankt Gallen isshobin beer — Tatsuo Yamashita · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  24. 24Takanawa Gateway Beer Fes — 電車(新幹線)でゴー！ · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  25. 25Tazawako Beer — 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  26. 26Tokyo Blues Single Hop Wheat — ＫｏＺ · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  27. 27Y.Market Brewing brewhouse — Pvcba · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  28. 28Tokyo Black porter — ketou-daisuki · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons