Chateau Kamiya, located in Ushiku, Ibaraki is a brewery so steeped in the history of western alcohol in Japan, that it’s hard to understand why it isn’t bigger than it is. They’ve been making wine here since the Meiji era and were, along with the original Spring Valley Brewery in Yokohama, one of the first to be making beers brewed to a German standard. Even with the Tohoku earthquake in 2011 that damaged the facade to the chateau, the brewery is still going strong. They have resisted the urge to take the commercial brewing route, however; they are big enough to expand yet are not willing to as they want people to come and visit the grounds.
If you’re unfamiliar with Chateau Kamiya, then a history lesson is required. Heisuke Kamiya, for whom the estate is named, was born back in 1856 in Aichi prefecture, and learnt how to make sake barrels when he was eight years old. When he was 22, he moved onto winemaking, and in 1880 opened up a sake shop in what was then known as Edo (modern Tokyo). In 1894, he moved to France to study winemaking before returning to Japan and expanding the vineyard in Shinjuku in 1897 (Edo was still surrounded by countryside at the time, having only being made the capital of Japan in 1868), before moving to Ushiku in 1898 and expanding the winery there. During this time, the brewery experimented with making some beer using German techniques, though beer was not as popular in Japan then as it is now. Chateau Kamiya finally moved into making beer in 1996 when the Japanese government relaxed the beer license requirements, and immediately moved into producing German style beers such as dunkels, helles, and German-style pilsners.
Unfortunately these barrels aren’t used for barrel-aging of beer. Used for wine.
Since then, though, beer tastes have changed and pilsners aren’t seen as being as exciting as they once were. Barley wines, IPAs, and chocolate stouts, along with barrel-aged beers, are the norm now with the traditional German styles being thrust aside. Chateau Kamiya has adapted, though, as is evident from the variety of beers that the brewery is able to produce, and produce well. India Pale Lagers, Chocolate Stouts and Barley Wines are among their seasonal list of beers that changes monthly; it shows how quickly Chateau Kamiya are able to shift their production around. All of these are produced using imported malts from either Germany or the UK and are mixed to the brewery’s own requirements.
4 comments
They used to be on tap at craft beer bars in Tokyo a few years back, then I heard that the company pulled the plug on that. They were really making ground in the market, producing excellent, clean beer. Yet another seemingly confusing decision but Japanese management. Its not the first and wont be the last. The nomihodai they have at the brewery complex is great value, if you can get all the way out there.
Definitely a great idea to get out there in the nice weather. Beautiful grounds to walk around in.
With the Ueno-Tokyo line extension, it’s possible to get there on only one train from Tokyo / Yokohama / Fujisawa area too.
but the cost to get there and back plus the time and walk from station etc still make it not very convenient. I think its silly that they don’t have their beers on tap in tokyo and elsewhere – especialy if they want to increase sales. But perhaps they dont have to, having that money behind them. How many people have been to kamiya or have even heard if it? Not really great business sense, IMO, to hope that people from all over japan will visit your place, rather than let them have your beers on tap or in bottles near their homes, get them interested in your beer THEN they might come.
Kakui san does a decent job with his beers. The annual beer fest they put on is a decent event and pretty good value.
Yeah, Kakui-san alluded to that but was a little hesitant to say. A shame as their beers are clean as you say. They aren’t the first and not the last brewery to pull their beers from bars, see Ishimawa Shuzo.