Yokohama is the birthplace of beer in Japan. Present-day juggernaut Kirin was, in 1870, a small facility founded on the Yamate bluff by one William Copeland, a young Norwegian who had Anglicized his named after having naturalized in America. Called the Spring Valley Brewery for the spring from which it sourced its excellent water, it was certainly not the first of its kind. Kirin’s enormous claim on public consciousness, not to mention its extensive marketing power, ensures that Copeland’s is the narrative that rises from the fog of history to be retold. But Copeland had competitors. Evidence shows that there was at least one other brewery that opened in the same general area in 1869 (called Japan Yokohama Brewery). Imported ale was also popular in Yokohama’s foreign settlement, an observation that had been the impetus for Copeland launching his business venture. Beer ads, in fact, had been appearing in newspapers since 1861 and a German beer hall opened in 1865.

Although he met with early success, even opening a beer garden at the brewery, he ran into a problem that many craft brewers still face today: he couldn’t penetrate the distribution channels. Other breweries had opened across Japan, increasing competition, too. Unable to repay his creditors, he foreclosed in 1884. Beer’s popularity, however, continued to grow and the company that acquired the facilities, Japan Breweries Company, revived it in 1907 as Kirin Beer. Maybe Copeland wasn’t so much a failure as a catalyst. His entrepreneurial spirit was an important part of that age and the Yokohama zeitgeist. Craft beer is also about the entrepreneurial spirit. Yokohama, it seems, is an appropriate ground zero for beer in Japan.

Many of the characteristics that made Yokohama ripe for a beer revolution then are the same ones that are spurring a bona fide craft beer revolution now. Yokohama has a dynamic economy, healthy demographics, an excellent transportation network (including easy access to the newly international Haneda airport), a strong sense of community spirit, and a fairly friendly, laid-back vibe. These last two characteristics in particular have been important to the craft beer explosion in America. Then, of course, there are all the early movers—the craft beer pioneers in Yokohama now, who have set the tectonic plates in motion.

No city is a craft beer city without its own brewery. Yokohama Brewery rose to prominence in 2010 helmed by the inimitable Suzuki Shinya, whose “wrestler series” of bold, hoppy beers added to his already excellent imperial pilsner and dark lager brews. Suzuki left Yokohama Brewery at the end of last year to start his own brewery in nearby Yoshida-machi, to be called Bay Brewing. While the rave reviews he received from the drinking community for his new beers might have seemed like a mandate for him to go independent, he explains, “My original goal when I started to make beer was to start my own brewery. I never dreamed I would accomplish it so quickly—I joined Yokohama six years ago and became head brewer in three years. I was born and raised in Yokohama, and really love this city. I want it to become a craft beer tourist destination like Prague or San Diego.” Indeed, Suzuki has been a strong advocate of this, hosting “Beer Summits” (all-you-can-drink parties) and his own festival last fall. But what can we expect from his new brewery, to open in June?

“I’ve applied for a happoshû license, so I only need to brew six kiloliters of beer per year. At most, I will be able to produce about twenty-four kiloliters. In seven years, I’d like to expand the facilities elsewhere, to accommodate about 120. In the beginning, I will be brewing entirely in barrels. You can expect a Czech-style pilsner, Czech amber and dark lager, a weizen, American pale ale and IPA, and a porter.” His brewery will also include a pub. He’s very close to Yokohama Brewery and a number of established craft beer bars, but when I ask him about competition, he states, “The more competitive it gets, the better. And I’ll share my knowledge about opening a facility to anyone who comes by.” That’s some real love.

With Suzuki out the door, that doesn’t mean Yokohama Brewery goes down the drain. Gojo, who takes over as head brewer, seems confident in his new role. “I’ll still make some of the Czech beers I learned from Suzuki, but I’m considering hoppy, American-style beers. Belgian-style beers with Belgian yeast is another direction I want to go because that’s the style I like.” And what do you think about your competition down the street, Baird Beer’s Bashamichi Taproom? “At first I was happy but now I can see we’re losing out to them. I’m going to be more competitive.”

Bryan and Sayuri Baird opening their fourth Taproom literally one block away was a huge event in the craft beer scene and especially for Yokohama. It features over 20 taps of their world-class, award-winning beer, as well as a few guest taps. While its location might seem like a frontal assault on Yokohama Brewery, we can attest that it reflects a fortuitous find. While the Bairds were considering locations for a new Taproom last September, we gave them a tour through parts of the city we thought were promising. After visiting Yokohama Brewery, we were simply passing through to another location when they spotted the building. It was vacant. It was perfect. Just four months later, on January 15th, it opened its three floors to enthusiastic crowds. Pit master Chuck Morrow brings decades of experience to serving up an array of American-style barbecue fired in a real pit oven. Says Bryan of choosing the city, “The culture and international history, as well as general sophistication, of Yokohama were compelling. We also liked the beer culture that seemed to be evolving here and wanted to play a larger role in its development.”

With Yokohama Brewery, the Taproom and Bay Brewing within minutes of each other, we have the Craft Beer Triangle for certain, but other craft beer venues operate within easy walking distance. The generically named Craft Beer Bar has found quiet success on a back street a few blocks away. Its subdued, almost formal ambience has drawn a more mature audience into the fold. In the Noge district, Apollo has recently put in a system with four taps, two for Japanese craft, two for Belgian, though the occasional Rogue selection makes it in. The tiny stand bar El Nubichinom serves several varieties a block away in Miyakobashi. Just beyond Craft Beer Bar, the Three Lions Pub has begun serving craft, and in Ishikawa-cho, Charcoal Grill and Bar Green features three rotating taps of craft to pair with their scrumptious food—some of the best in the city, in our opinion.

Meanwhile, in the Yokohama Station area, there are two bars that deserve their due credit. Cheers owner Horikawa has a penchant for putting in hard-to-find beers from outlying regions of Japan. He regularly hosts an event that features all craft beers from Okinawa—four breweries with thirteen varieties! Thrash Zone, a tiny bar with a cult-like following, takes a very different angle. As owner Katsuki says, “I like extreme beer and extreme music.” Yes, Thrash Zone plays metal music. It also serves up some of the tastiest, hoppiest beers from America, so even guests who don’t like the music don’t seem to notice.

Much of the beer at Thrash Zone, as well as guest selections at Bashamichi Taproom, come care of Nagano Trading, importers of popular American beers like Stone and Bear Republic. President Andrew Balmuth remarked, “We moved to Yokohama because we believe the city offers an exciting combination of business and lifestyle benefits. For two years Nagano Trading searched and interviewed warehouse companies but with no luck. I shared my frustration with Katsuki (Thrash Zone), who told me that his friends and regular customers in the fruit and produce business could make an introduction to a warehouse company located in the central market of Yokohama. It was a match made in heaven, as the warehouse company’s team understood our special cold storage needs. Two of the many exciting aspects of Yokohama are the fast emerging craft beer scene and the relaxed but sophisticated community. We look forward to being a part of the diverse fabric and making many new friends.” We suspect some of his ‘new friends’ will be serving craft before long.

These are the primary shakers and movers in Yokohama now, but a few others deserve note. Scott Brimmer, former brewer at Gotemba, will be opening up his own production facility in a quiet suburb of Yokohama in the summer. He says that he is going to start out with just a production facility, but that he may consider a pub at a later date. Pivoya is also an attraction for many serious beer drinkers, serving up several Czech draft beers in excellent condition at its Hodogaya location. The northern ward of Aoba (actually more like a western suburb of Tokyo) is home to both Copa and Keel, two hideaways with craft on tap. Finally, we have to give special mention to Mitsuhashi Ikuo, the world-famous mime (we’re not kidding) whose little bar in Noge, Le Temps Perdu, has been serving Belgian beer for over 20 years! He was pushing superior taste before anyone knew superior taste could even exist.

If traveling to Yokohama from afar, we recommend perhaps timing it around some of its festivals. The Great Japan Beer Festival Yokohama, held every September in Osanbashi Hall, is an extravagant, 3-day affair with dozens of brewers from all over Japan and overseas. Organizer Oda Ryoji remarked being grateful for the cooperation he receives from local government in running the event. Tsubasa Café held a large-scale Belgian beer festival last year and also hosted one of Suzuki Shinya’s Japanese craft beer festivals—we can expect more from Suzuki this year. Akarenga Soko (Red Brick Warehouse) does throw a huge ‘Oktoberfest,’ though many attendees complain of inflated prices. Sadly, organizers also serve Guinness and Kirin, turning it into what seems like a cynical, purely-for-profit affair. We’ll let you guess what company has a stake in Akarenga. On a more positive note, we host small events (about 80 people) in Yokohama every two months that attempt to pair craft beer with something: craft & food, craft & cruise, craft & music, craft & charity…We’re working on some exciting things, so stay tuned via our website.

Yokohama’s success as a craft-beer city owes much to circumstances outside the influence of any individual or group. That rent prices, for example, are 70% of Tokyo’s means that bar owners can charge less for the same pint. This favors the consumer and spurs demand. But individuals in Yokohama are consciously supportive and there seems to be a real craft beer community. Citizens in any city can cultivate this. Small gatherings become parties. Parties become festivals. Craft appreciation grows. Bars transition to craft. And then, at some special moment, critical mass is achieved. Just watch Yokohama. The big party is about to start.

by Ry Beville

This article was published in Japan Beer Times # () and is among the limited content available online. Order your copy through our online shop or download the digital version from the iTunes store to access the full contents of this issue.