Beer

Japan is, it’s pretty safe to say, something of a boozy country. Whether social events, ceremonies or even work, most milestones are marked with a nomikai [drinking party] and a kanpai [cheers]. This is all well and good if you enjoy a tipple, but for many people – those who for whatever reason prefer not to drink – it can be a little isolating, and there is commonly a peer pressure to drink – even if it is ‘just the one for kanpai’. And even if you do avoid the pressure, the non-alcoholic options are generally pretty uninspired: tea, ginger ale, or… well, that’s about it. Fortunately, there has been a recent rise in the production of non-alcoholic beers and cocktails in Japan. From 2019 to 2025, Global Market Insights predicted that Asia’s low- to no-alcohol beverage market would grow 7 percent from $20 billion to $30 billion, a vast 80 percent of this expansion coming from the beer sector. While the Japanese beer market is nowhere near as advanced as other nations, things are improving. But which to go for, for the uninitiated? Well, following my ‘No-booze-November,’ I have become quite acquainted with a few of them, so let…