Prefecture Focus : Craft Beers of Tochigi

Welcome to the third of our 47 part series that focuses on craft beer in each prefecture of Japan. In each installment, the aim is look at how craft beer came to be in that area of Japan, how it developed, and then look at some of the local breweries that a noteworthy. With over 800 breweries at the end of 2023, not every single brewery will be covered. Some will be known to people, some will be contentious, and some may be new to you.

Notable Breweries in Tochigi

Romantic Village Beer

The first craft beer brewery to open in Tochigi, occasionally known as Utsunomiya Craft Beer, is a craft beer brewery based in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi. Romantic Village Beer is located in Romantic Village, a large resort area that encompasses various different areas for people to play and also an onsite brewery too. The brewery itself uses locally sourced two-row malt from the local Tochigi area and also tries to ferment their beers from anywhere between 45 to 65 days on site before bottling.

Brewery Information : https://beertengoku.com/2015/10/31/romantic-village-beer-information/

Romantic Village Beer

Nasu Kogen Beer

Nasu Kogen Beer is a Japanese craft beer brewery based in Nasu city, Tochigi. It was founded in 1996 but its origins lie in a time older than that. Nasu Kogen Beer’s president, Oyamada Takashi, was born into a family that ran a retail furniture-making business started by his grandfather. However, the company began to downsize its operations and soon after, Oyamada-san suggested the opening of a brewery. He and two others, head brewer Fujita Masafumi and Noda Ryohei, travelled around German breweries to improve their knowledge and understanding of brewing beer.

Brewery Information : https://beertengoku.com/2016/02/19/nasu-kohgen-beer/

Nasu Kogen Beer Logo

Ushitora

Ushitora is not just a chain of craft beer bars, but they also have a brewery, which opened in October 2014, with the purpose of better serving beers that their clients liked. Since opening, they have seen a number of brewers pass through their ranks, with Luc Bim Lafontine (Dieu de Ciel!, Godspeed) and Uetake-san (Coedo, Hop Kotan) both having worked at Ushitora at one point. The brewery is located in Tochigi as they were unable to find a suitable location near the two branches of the stores in Shimokitazawa. Ushitora are also well-known for releasing little to no information about their beers as well.

Brewery Information : https://beertengoku.com/2020/02/28/ushitora-brewery-information/

Ushitora Brewery Logo

808 Brewery

808 Brewery is a Japanese microbrewery based on Oyama, in Tochigi, Japan. 808 Brewery, also known as Yaoya brewery, opened in June 2021 with crowdfunding support from Camp Fire, was started by Sun Foods Co., Ltd., which is mainly a wholesaler of fruits and vegetables. The town of Oyama is also one of Japan’s top areas for the production of barley and pearl barley, with the brewery utilising as much as possible for their beers, as well as other crops and adjuncts from the local area – for example koshihikari rice and coix seeds.

Brewery Information : https://beertengoku.com/2022/06/03/808-brewery-information/

808 Brewery Logo

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