20,000 Japanese beer enthusiasts celebrate beer diversity and flavor

Japanese are increasingly in the habit of celebrating craft beer at Japan
Craft Beer Association's Great Japan Beer Festivals.  All photos courtesy
of JCBA.

10,000 beer lovers will descend upon Yokohama Japan tomorrow, Saturday, September 19.  While American beer enthusiasts are anticipating the Great American Beer Festival in Denver next week, Japanese beer enthusiasts have a jump start on another one of their series of mega beer celebrations that are sweeping Japan.  The Great Japan Beer Festival in that city will be celebrated September 19-21. 

In June, 5,000 beer enthusiasts descended upon Tokyo for their Great Japan Beer Festival and in June 4,000 descended upon Osaka.  Ryouji Oda, Chairman of the non profit beer enthusiast organization, The Japan Craft Beer Association, and festival organizer reports “Other people are now organizing 7 other small beer festivals in other parts of Japan, each one with 300 to 500  beer enthusiasts attending.”

“At the Great Japan Beer Festival events there are 50 to 70 breweries serving 120 to 220 beers.  Most of the participating brewers are small and independent craft brewers of which it’s reported 225 are currently brewing specialty beers in Japan.”

Perhaps taking their cue from America’s craft brewers it seems the Japanese are developing some very interesting beers.  “We are making almost 50 to 60 different beer styles as well as special beers such as rice [sake] yeast beer, Japanese-style white ale (some of which is aged in cedar barrels, typical of sake aging). 

Japan Craft Beer Association has plans are already for 2010 with Great Japan Beer Festivals in Tokyo, June 5, 6; Osaka in July; Yokohama, September 18-20 and a Japan Asia Beer Cup competition held on February 28th.  Also planned is an International Beer Competition in August in a city to be announced.