Festivals フェスティバル As the year winds down, so do most of the festivals and beer events, leaving us with less to report on. Which means more time to drink at our local bars. Hey, we didn’t forget you! We reported last time on the possibility of festival fatigue setting in—you know, same kind of festival,…

Breaking News: craft beer is everywhere! OK, not so truthful news, actually, but it excites us to say it. Come on, say it! Bars and restaurants serving craft beer open in cities across Japan almost on a daily basis– yes, we said “daily.” Several new breweries are under construction or in planning phases. Festivals run…

Summer 2013 Imagine summer without beer. Yeah, didn’t think you could. This summer, there’s been copious consumption, especially at the ballooning number of festivals. Craft beer boom? Seems, too, like there’s a festival boom. In May, the four Kyoto breweries along with Yamaoka Liquor Store hosted their Kyoto Craft Beer Festival once again along the…

Spring 2013 Ah, Spring. Warm weather… Cherry blossoms… Which produce strains of yeast that some Japanese brewers use in specialty beers… Can’t you taste them now? We last left off just before Snow Monkey Beer Live was gearing up for its second year. Hosted by Shiga Kogen Beer near a mountain ski resort, it was,…

Winter 2013 The end of 2012 did not go out with a whimper in Japan’s craft beer scene. While the unfortunate majority had to suffer through bonenkai (end-of-the-year parties), there were at least two big events offering respite from bland beer and drunk work colleagues. Nagano Trading held its second annual Killer Bs II party…