Japan’s northern Hokkaido brewery taps into tradition to make new brews

Food & Beverage

Moon and Sun Brewing offers wide range of craft beer at its 2 Sapporo beer restaurants

Moon and Sun Brewing is aiming to produce 50,000 liters of craft beer in its fiscal year through March. (Photos by Kotose Hamano)

SAPPORO, Japan — Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of Japan, is said to be the birthplace of Japan’s modern beer industry with the establishment of the government-run Kaitakushi Beer Brewery in Sapporo in 1876. While beer-related tourism resources like the Sapporo Beer Museum in the city and the Kirin Brewery Hokkaido Chitose Factory near Hokkaido’s main airport are abundant, a relatively new arrival on the scene is brewing craft beer and serving them direct to consumers.