Arya News - Tokyo’s craft beer scene has exploded in the past decade, with breweries in the 23 wards jumping from 15 in 2014 to 88 in 2024, fueled by a 2018 tax-law amendment that loosened malt requirements and allowed fruit, spices, and other adjuncts.
TOKYO – Breweries that produce and sell craft beer are springing up one after another in Tokyo’s 23 wards, with their numbers jumping by about sixfold in the past 10 years.
The increase was kick-started by the 2018 amendment to the Liquor Tax Law that made it possible to produce a diverse range of local beers and happoshu quasi-beers. This culminated in a growing number of small-scale businesses entering the market.
Located near Nishiarai-Daishi temple in Adachi Ward, Adachi Brewery produces and sells 10 varieties of craft beer made with ingredients such as mango, pineapple and blackcurrant. The brewery’s American-Style Light Lager uses glutinous rice grown by the ward’s sole rice farmer, contributing to the “local production for local consumption” movement.
In May, the brewery opened a beer stand near the Nakamise shopping street in Asakusa, Taito Ward, targeting foreign tourists. “I want people both in Japan and from abroad to enjoy the unique and diverse flavors of our beers,” said President Yuki Ao, 48.
According to the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau’s latest statistics, there were 88 breweries shipping beer and happoshu within the 23 wards in 2024, up sharply from 15 in fiscal 2014.
Kakyu Nomura, an executive of Shibataya Sake Shop Harumi, Harumi Beer Brewery, in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, which produces craft beer in 200-liter tanks. PHOTO: THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN
This trend followed the Liquor Tax Law amendment in April 2018. The definition of beer was revised to require a malt content of at least 50%, down from at least 67%. This change allowed for the use of spices and fruits as secondary ingredients, in addition to the primary ingredients of malt, hops and water. The deregulation also made it easier to produce a diverse range of craft beers, leading to a surge of new businesses seeking to establish their original brands.
Craft beer breweries are increasing partly because making beer is possible without establishing a large facility. Obtaining a beer production license requires a facility capable of producing at least 60 kiloliters annually, whereas a license for happoshu products requires a facility capable of making only 6 kiloliters per year.
Since craft beer can also be produced as happoshu, which contains more than 5% of adjuncts, small-scale breweries begun popping up. In 2023, the number of happoshu production facilities in Tokyo’s 23 wards surpassed that of beer production facilities. In 2024, this figure reached 58, nearly double the 30 beer production facilities.
Opened in 2024, Shibataya Sake Shop Harumi, Harumi Beer Brewery, in Harumi, Chuo Ward, is one such small-scale newcomer to the industry. The brewery has two 200-liter tanks in an 11.6-square-meter space and produces about 500 liters of craft beer a month.
The brewery produces eight varieties that change with the seasons, including Harumi Flag Gold, which has an impressive golden color. Kakyu Nomura, an executive of the brewery’s operating company, said there is a saying in Germany — the home of beer — that “the beer you drink within sight of the brewery’s chimney tastes best.” “Freshly brewed beer is truly delicious,” said Nomura, 45.
The brewery is on the first floor of an apartment complex in Harumi Flag, the site of the former Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Village that is now home to about 11,000 residents.
“This neighborhood is still young, so we’d like to be a part of its new history,” Nomura said. “We aim to create a society in which people can easily and casually enjoy craft beer as a local beverage in central Tokyo, just as they might visit a bakery in their neighborhood.”
Revival of craft beer
According to the Japan Brewers Association, a Shibuya Ward-based general incorporated association comprising craft beer brewers from across the country, craft beer production in Japan began about 30 years ago. Previously, the minimum annual volume required for beer production was 2,000 kiloliters, meaning that obtaining a license was effectively limited to major manufacturers. However, a Liquor Tax Law amendment in April 1994 lowered the threshold to 60 kiloliters per year, leading to beer production in various parts of the country.
Around 2000, regional sake brewers and others began entering the market as part of efforts to revitalize local economies and to use these products as tourist attractions. However, this boom gradually faded.
The spread of online shopping and an increase in restaurants and bars serving craft beers from Europe and the United States helped boost awareness of craft beer again. This led to a surge in new entrants to the market about 10 years ago. In particular, ales rarely found in domestic distribution channels, the fruity Weizen and hoppy IPA beers reportedly grew in popularity.