Japan is a drinking culture. And what they like to drink more than any other spirituous beverage is beer.
When you go to an izakaya (a Japanese drinking establishment that serves food also), everyone tells the waitress, “Toriaezu nama” (“For now, draft beer please”) while they look at the menu. In other words, you need that first beer before you can even think about ordering anything else.
Generally speaking, Japanese beer is modeled after the German tradition of brewing. The Japanese have great pride in their beer and many a hearty beer swiller will tell you that its American and European equivalent tastes like fizzy water.
Serious beeraholic salarymen will tell you that happoshu isn’t real beer. If you’re a real man, you drink the real stuff! But judging by what I see regularly in liquor stores (and the fact that most salarymen’s wives dole out their spending money in tiny increments), happoshu is pretty widely guzzled.
Actually, the taste is pretty close. It’s hard to tell the difference, but happoshu has a slightly lighter flavor. But it’s not anywhere near as light as the watery “lite” beer that Americans are so fond of.
There are four major beer producers in Japan: Kirin, Sapporo, Asahi and Suntory. Kirin, named after a mythical dragon, was the first Japanese beer, followed by Sapporo. Probably the most popular of the four is Asahi, which comes from Osaka. Asahi Super Dry is Japan’s best-selling beer and the company has won lots of awards overseas. Asahi also makes the ever-popular and absolutely delicious Yesbisu beer (sometimes written as “Ebisu” beer), the author’s personal fave.
Suntory is best known for its rice wines and whiskeys (remember Bill Murray in Lost In Translation: “For relaxing times, make it Suntory time”). They also make beers like Premium Malts, MD Golden Dry and several popular brands of happoshu.
Finally, I have to mention Japan’s 5th major beer, Orion (pronounced “oh-ree-on”). Orion is from Okinawa and it’s a relative latecomer, having started in the 1950’s during the American occupation. You don’t find it everywhere, but it sure is delicious. As its logo says, “Orion is the beer of beers.”
There are also microbrews all over the country and home brewing has become increasingly popular, although it’s technically illegal according to Japanese tax law.
When you go to an izakaya (a Japanese drinking establishment that serves food also), everyone tells the waitress, “Toriaezu nama” (“For now, draft beer please”) while they look at the menu. In other words, you need that first beer before you can even think about ordering anything else.
How Beer Became Japan’s Favorite Drink
Beer first came to Japan in the 17th century with Dutch traders who opened beer halls for their sailors. German beer halls appeared in the 19th century, along with Japan’s first brand Kirin. During the democratization of the country in the 1910’s and 20’s, beer became increasingly popular all over the country, replacing traditional sake for the preferred way to get blotto. Today, Japan ranks among countries like the United States and Germany as a major world producer of beer.Generally speaking, Japanese beer is modeled after the German tradition of brewing. The Japanese have great pride in their beer and many a hearty beer swiller will tell you that its American and European equivalent tastes like fizzy water.
Different Types Of Beer – Real Beer Versus Happoshu
Japan has a strict beer tax and this makes its beers slightly pricey. However, there’s a cheaper alternative. It’s called happoshu, which means literally “foamy alcohol.” This is a low-malt version of beer that’s made from alternative ingredients like rice, sorghum and potato.Serious beeraholic salarymen will tell you that happoshu isn’t real beer. If you’re a real man, you drink the real stuff! But judging by what I see regularly in liquor stores (and the fact that most salarymen’s wives dole out their spending money in tiny increments), happoshu is pretty widely guzzled.
Actually, the taste is pretty close. It’s hard to tell the difference, but happoshu has a slightly lighter flavor. But it’s not anywhere near as light as the watery “lite” beer that Americans are so fond of.
There are four major beer producers in Japan: Kirin, Sapporo, Asahi and Suntory. Kirin, named after a mythical dragon, was the first Japanese beer, followed by Sapporo. Probably the most popular of the four is Asahi, which comes from Osaka. Asahi Super Dry is Japan’s best-selling beer and the company has won lots of awards overseas. Asahi also makes the ever-popular and absolutely delicious Yesbisu beer (sometimes written as “Ebisu” beer), the author’s personal fave.
Suntory is best known for its rice wines and whiskeys (remember Bill Murray in Lost In Translation: “For relaxing times, make it Suntory time”). They also make beers like Premium Malts, MD Golden Dry and several popular brands of happoshu.
Finally, I have to mention Japan’s 5th major beer, Orion (pronounced “oh-ree-on”). Orion is from Okinawa and it’s a relative latecomer, having started in the 1950’s during the American occupation. You don’t find it everywhere, but it sure is delicious. As its logo says, “Orion is the beer of beers.”
There are also microbrews all over the country and home brewing has become increasingly popular, although it’s technically illegal according to Japanese tax law.
Interesting Facts About Japanese Beer
- Each major manufacturer makes limited edition seasonal beers. You can drink these tasty brews when you’re getting sloshed at a summer festival, getting sloshed at a springtime cherry blossom viewing picnic, or getting sloshed at any other time of year.
- Japanese beers come in all can sizes, from the “shot” size of 135ml to the bucket-sized can of Sapporo that’s a novelty in Western countries. The most commonly drunk is the tall 500ml can. The regular 350ml can is considered “small” by Japanese folk.
- Beer is almost always drunk with a snack. In the West, we’ve got beer nuts; in Japan they have edamame, rice crackers and squid jerky.
- You can buy beer in vending machines in Japan, a dream come true for any Western teenager. But a few years ago, they created the Taspo card system, where you need a special card to buy alcohol and smokes. There is diet beer. I don’t understand the point either.
BY
Prosper Co.,Ltd
Japanese used car dealer
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