The Japanese word for beer is bīru (Dutch loanword) and a brewery is called jōzōjo.
JapanesePod101.com – The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed
| Romanji | Kanji | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Beer ビール | Bīru | 麦酒 | |
| Beer bottle ビールびん | Bīru bin | ビール瓶 | |
| Beer can ビールかん | Bīru kan | ビール缶 | |
| Draft beer なまビール | Nama bīru | 生ビール | |
| Craft beer クラフトビール | Kurafutobīru | None | |
| Brewery じょぞじょ | Jōzōjo | 醸造所 |
Interesting facts about beer in Japan
It’s believed that beer was brought to Japan by Dutch traders in the early 1600s, but it wouldn’t be until the late 1800s before the first Japanese breweries were established. And many of those earliest breweries are still in business today!
Japan has four major breweries – Asahi, Suntory, Sapporo and Kirin. And although these four breweries dominate the Japanese market, a lot of microbreweries have started popping up over the last few years.
Also, many people believe sake to be the most popular alcoholic beverage in Japan, but it’s actually beer – by far.
Read more about the six oldest breweries in Japan.