- 3 min read

Japanese Beer

All you need to know to choose the best beer

If you like a beer after a long day, or, if like me, you are a beer lover who likes to taste as many different beers as possible; here is some useful information about beer in Japan.

Brewery

Four big brewers share a majority of the market, Asahi, Kisin, Sapporo (and the sub-brand Ebisu) and Suntory. Along with the giant breweries, it is now possible to find a wide variety of craft beer makers, like Coedo, Echigo, Ginga Kogen, Minoh Beer and Yo-Ho, to name a few.

Type of beer

Even if the majority of beers are pale lager, it is possible to find some variety, especially if you are looking at craft beer. However, it is important to know that there is different category of beer, that are defined by the raw ingredients used to make them, that also define the tax level on the product.

First of all, the beerビール, pronounced bîru must contain at least 67% of malt. The cost of these products should range from ¥175 to ¥300, for a standard can of 350 ml. The price can go up to ¥600 for craft beer.

Second, the happōshu 発泡酒, that contain 66% of malt or less. Third, the third category beer 第三のビール (dai-san no bīru), also called happōsei 発泡性, liqueur リキュール and new genre 新ジャンル. These are beer made without malt or a mix of happōshu with a strong alcohol. Finally, free beer that are beer flavored drinks, or alcohol free beer. All of these products are not subject to the same tax, so their price usually ranges from ¥100 to ¥175.

It’s easy to know that type of product you are looking at as it’s always written on the can. One only have to look for the circle with お酒 (osake – alcohol), and next to it you should find the percentage of alcohol and the type of product, for example ALC. 5% ビール, for a real beer.

Watch carefully, as other type of drinks like chu-hi and high ball, that are a mix of spirit and flavored carbonated water are also sold in cans and are usually displayed next to the beer in stores.

Where to buy?

You can find beer in a variety of stores, like convenience store (konbini), liquor store, supermarket, department stores (at the basement) and even at Don Quijote. The unit price is similar in all the stores, even if it’s a bit higher in convenience stores, but the price goes down when you buy a bigger pack. You can also check for promotion where you can get a free glass when you buy a pack of tree of six beers. If you are looking for variety, make sure to go to different chain stores as some products are exclusive, for example some only sold at 7eleven.

Conclusion

During your next trip take the time to taste different type of products and you will make some nice discoveries. And don’t forget, the legal drinking age in Japan is 20.

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Geraldine Buergel 3 years ago
I'm not a massive fan of the pale lagers, but some of the craft beers are very good. Especially if you can find a beer that's partially made from rice.
Guillaume Doré Author 3 years ago
I personally tried it here : https://en.japantravel.com/osaka/minoh-beer-warehouse/27830
You might have higher change to find it around Osaka, but Minoh beer is a well know microbrewery, it open just a couple of years after the law changed and make it possible to microbreweries to exist.
On, and it seems to be somehow seasonal beer.
I might have tried rice lager, but for sure I'll check again next time I go.
Mark Asao 7 years ago
A trip to a convenience store for beer and manju are my first tasks after settling in when I travel to Japan :) . At home in Canada I mostly drink Asahi and sometimes Kirin since they are both still imports. Unfortunately, my favourite, Sapporo bought a local brewery here and as such the Sapporo brewed here does not taste like Sapporo there does. Suntory is not available here either so when in Japan I tend to enjoy Sapporo and Suntory. I like them all.
Elena Lisina 7 years ago
I like KIRIN beer!
Justin Velgus 8 years ago
Guillaume Doré Author 7 years ago
I remember one night in a youth hostel, a guy was drinking a Suntory Kin-mugi and I had a Asahi Super Dry. He said that it was a good beer, and I told him that it was not actually a real beer, but that mine was.
I don't say it's bad, it's just technically not exactly a beer, and it's nice to know the difference between the different kind of products.
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