The craft beer market in Japan
In 1994, the year the Japan Craft Beer Association was founded by Ryouji Oda, the Government of Japan eased restrictions on the lowest limit of annual beer production per one brewery from 20 000 hl to 600 hl. As a result, more than 310 microbreweries newly opened and the total annual production of craft beer reached approximately 150 000 hl by 1998. It seemed that craft beer business would expand more and more in the future. However the economic depression restrained overall consumptions of beer. In addition, traditional beer customers who were familiar with “thin” light lagers by mega-breweries resisted to drink flavorful, hoppy, malty and bitter craft beers from microbreweries. Consequently, 25 percent of microbreweries were obliged to withdraw from the craft beer market again.
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