A Report on Japan and its Beer
Historians date the origin of sake back around 2500 years. It began as a result of extensive rice cultivation in Japan. The beer of Japan is also known as Japanese rice wine. The term used for alcohol/liquor by the Japanese is sake. Sometimes, this creates a misunderstanding when tourists in the country try to order sake. The most common alcoholic drink in Japan is Beer. It is also the highly taken alcoholic drink at home and also at drinking establishments in the country. Four companies dominate the beer industry in Japan; Kirin, Sapporo, Suntory, and Asahi (Acitelli, Tom, and Tony Magee 4). A light lager beer whose alcohol content is about five percent is the standard type of beer. Regional craft beers are becoming popular too. Japanese beer is made by mixing water, hops, fermented yeast, and barley malt. However, rice is an essential ingredient used as an adjunct today. The aroma and flavor of the rice are very neutral, and when brewers covert it correctly, clean-tasting beer is produced.
Beer in Japan was initially brewed by the Dutch for their private use during the Edo era in Nagasaki and Hokkaido. In 1869, a foreign business person founded the first brewery in Yokohama to supply beer to the Japanese market. As the owner of this brewery changed in 1888, it began producing the Kirin beer brand. Meanwhile, the Japanese government constructed a brewery in Sapporo. In 1876, it established a beer brand known as Sapporo as part of its attempts to bring development in the Hokkaido island (Craig 413). The climate of Hokkaido is warm and temperate, suitable for the production of rice and barley. The region lies at an altitude of 16 meters above sea level. The area also receives a great deal of rainfall, even during the driest months. The average annual temperatures range between 16.9 and 63.8-degree centigrade. Soil profile and landscape features in this region favor the growth of rice.
Japan is one of the leading exporters of alcoholic drinks in the world. Every year, the country makes an estimate of 4 trillion yen from the sale of beer. Consumption of Japanese beer is still on the rise. Regardless of this massive export, Japan also imports some beer from other countries. In 2016, for example, the annual beer imports in the country accounted for 6% of the entire liquor market in the country (Garavaglia, Christian, and Johan 28). There are various economic and social factors influencing the import and export of alcohol products in Japan. One of these is the rebirth in the acceptance of traditional beer. The other factor is the fact that the country consists of geographical variations in the beverages that people consume.
According to Partner (395), Hokkaido has a rich history, indigenous population, and long winters. With these characteristics, the culture of the people living on this island is very distinct and very special to the rest of the Japanese. Even though most Japanese don’t like associating with one another, the Hokkaido Island is famous for pork and strawberry farming. Other native events in this region are the Ubagami Shrine Festival, the Sapporo Autumn Festival, the Otaru Snow Light Path, and the Sapporo Snow Festival.
Besides being a famous option for recreational alcohol, Japanese beer is used in various religious and formal ceremonies such as weddings. Sake is also used for kitchen purposes. In ancient times, the Japanese used it when mourning the dead. Usually, the drink is poured into small cups (Choko), from a tall bottle known as tokkuri. It is either served at a medium temperature or chilled.
Works Cited
Acitelli, Tom, and Tony Magee. The audacity of hops: The history of America’s craft beer revolution. Chicago Review Press, 2017.
Craig, Tim. “Brewed in Japan: the evolution of the Japanese beer industry.” (2018): 412-414.
Garavaglia, Christian, and Johan Swinnen. “Economics of the craft beer revolution: A comparative international perspective.” Economic perspectives on craft beer. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018. 3-51.
Partner, Simon. “Brewed in Japan: The Evolution of the Japanese Beer Industry by Jeffrey W. Alexander.” The Journal of Japanese Studies 41.2 (2015): 392-397.
