Music and beer in a festive atmosphere–few things go so well together to lift the spirits. Add some hearty food to that mix and you have the makings of a memorable experience with friends, family, and maybe some like-minded attendees. Interesting encounters and new friends are often the lasting reward of these events. Japan has quite a few in the months ahead.

Belgian Beer Weekend Japan is back in full force across Japan’s major cities, with Fukuoka rejoining a schedule this year that includes Nagoya, Yokohama, Osaka, and multiple locations in Tokyo (last year marked a relatively ‘normal’ resumption of the event following the pandemic). This is one of Japan’s best festivals, professionally run with international music acts and, of course, amazing beer.

Think about this: Belgium is smaller than Tokyo in terms of population, and yet boasts over 400 breweries, a handful of them some of the world’s most respected. Lucky for all of us in Japan, importers here have managed to establish strong relationships with Belgian breweries and import an all-star line-up of their beer. You can sample much of it at the event. Think of the venue as one large Belgian beer tasting room. Will there be fries? Oh yes, there will be fries. Plenty of other savory food, too, to pair with those wonderfully flavored Belgian ales.

When attending, be sure to download the free BBWalker (Belgian Beer Walker) app that offers detailed information on all the Belgian beer as well as flavor charts. These “Beer Cards” in the app allow you to rate your beers, take notes, share via SNS, and also create a wishlist. The app also provides venue maps so you can find the beers at the various booths.

This year marks fifteen years since the start of the festival in Japan. There’s a reason it has drawn more than 1.5 million guests since its inception. It’s a really good time!

Website:　https://belgianbeerweekend.jp/en