Big In Japan

Stouts in the Land of the Rising Sun.

- Davey Young

There’s no doubt about it: Stouts are huge in Japan. At the World Beer Cup in Philadelphia earlier this year, Japanese breweries claimed seven medals for the style, including two golds. “They are getting more recognition, it seems like,” says Hiroyuki Fujiwara, a beer judge and president of the Japan Beer Journalists’ Association. “For craft beer brewers, it’s more enjoyable to brew beer that’s different from our national brand, a lager,” he explains. “Something that is very different is this black, round beer.”

Brewers in Japan have also discovered that Stouts provide ideal canvases for Japanese flavors. In Iwate Prefecture in the northeast, Iwate Kura uses local Sanriku oyster shells to add conspicuous umami undertones to its Oyster Stout, which won bronze in the Experimental Beer category at this year’s WBC. A variation on this beer, Oyster Stout-B, earned a silver medal for Experimental Beer (Lager or Ale).

At Iwate Kura, jisan-gaisho, which roughly translates to “locally made, sold outside,” guides the approach to brewing. This concept of using local ingredients to create a distinct, regional product for consumption across the country and beyond is not unique to Iwate Kura, however. Recently, other brewers in Japan have gone beyond shiitake mushroom Stouts to experiment with ingredients as varied as green tea, yuzu, soba seeds, and Japanese figs. Such experimentation has helped spur growth and recognition at home and abroad for both Stouts as a style and Japanese craft brewing in general.