Japan's Beer Industry a Window to the Past - Dr. Jeffrey Alexander

Japan's microbrewing, or ji-biiru industry has gained increasing attention in recent years, fuelled by a host of entrepreneurs with both creative recipes and a flare for showcasing Japan's lengthy history of beer production. Until 1900, Japan was home to well over a hundred small brewers, most of which lasted just a few years. The ji-biiru boom is once again witnessing a trend toward the production of many small, local craft beers. Many of these startups have dusted off old brands and labels, and are often claiming to have been "established in 1885" or thereabouts, when in fact they are new firms. This modest challenge to the market dominance of megabrewers like Sapporo, Kirin, and Asahi is fuelled by consumers' preference for different or local flavors. It is prompting the leading firms to add similar products to their stable of established brands.

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