Drink Japan 2023, Japan’s largest beverage expo, takes place between December 6th and 8th this year, and is an event you should absolutely consider attending, whether you are looking to get into the beverage industry or are already immersed in. It is on a scale similar to DrinkTech in Europe or the Craft Brewers Conference in America, except that its focus isn’t just beer; it features solutions for the whole universe of beverages (alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, fruit drinks, and more). This is especially relevant these days as more and more producers branch into multiple products. What can you expect to find? Manufacturers of everything from gadgets to large machinery, raw material suppliers, providers of various solutions (lab analysis, sustainability, etc), and experts in their various fields.

The event takes place this year at Tokyo Big Sight, showcasing roughly 400 exhibitors and a whopping 80 conference seminars (compared to 50 last year). Last year saw about 25,000 attendees and similar numbers are expected this year. The international panel of speakers features professionals from companies like Suntory, Asahi, Kirin, Coca-Cola, and ABinBev. From our own craft beer industry, you can hear from veterans like Komatsu Katsuhisa, who has been behind Tazawako Beer’s excellence since 1997, and Oyamada Koji, the president of Nasu Kogen Beer. Speaking of beer, if you do attend, definitely enter the drawing to win some bottles of Drink Japan’s original beer, DJ Pale Ale, made by Saga Armstrong using domestic malt (simply follow Drink Japan on X or Facebook, show them at the promotion booth that you’ve done so, and you’re entered!)

If you attend there are a few exhibitors we can definitely recommend checking out. Kotobuki Techrex is a brewery equipment manufacturer that makes systems of high quality, as you’d expect of Japanese engineers. They are also involved in domestic malting facilities in Saga, as alluded to above. Armstrong Malt is only a few years old but has become a growing supplier of craft malt to small breweries across Japan. Saga Armstrong brewery is its associated brewery that exists to brew with and showcase its potential. Also, during the difficult years of the pandemic, it became obvious how valuable an asset like a canning line could be. Consumer trends have changed and take-away beer is with us for good. A brewery without a canning option, whether you are big or small, is going to have a difficult time. Visit the booth hosted by importer Cowboy Craft, where you’ll find the latest lines from Wild Goose, as well as other equipment from Ss Brewtech (think compact brewery systems), Micromatic, and more. And if you’re looking for raw materials, you’ll definitely want to drop by the booths of world-renowned suppliers Yakima Chief Hops and Fermentis (yeast). Drink Japan really is like a gigantic theme park for brewers.

If you’d like to attend Drink Japan, note that it is surprisingly free, but you do need to register in advance on their website. The seminars, too (an often overlooked but quite valuable aspect of the expo), require online registration. There is also considerable English-language support (though not all seminars/conferences may have an interpreter). Feedback we’ve received from attendees over previous years has been good–and we at the Japan Beer Times certainly enjoy seeing the larger beverage community coming together for a well-organized and executed event like this. Don’t hesitate to attend!