Karuizawa, the town where craft beer is drunk the most!

Craft beer is popular in Karuizawa. The beer market in Japan is dominated by major beer producers and the proportion of local beer and craft beer is only about 1%. However, in Karuizawa, craft beer has a market share of nearly 30%, and it is not too much to say that Karuizawa is very much a craft beer town.

There are two breweries based in Karuizawa, one is YO-HO Brewing and the other is Karuizawa Brewery. Both breweries have factories in Saku City, located next to Karuizawa Town. They offer factory tours and are crowded with craft beer lovers every day.

Since you can drink and buy craft beers from these breweries at shops in Karuizawa, you can also enjoy sampling a variety of them while having meals at hotels. “Karuizawa Craft Beer Terrace” is held from the middle of July to the end of August. At this event, you can fully enjoy the world of craft beer by learning about the ingredients and some basic knowledge of unique craft beer. You can also enjoy tasting different kinds of craft beers and try different pairings of the beers with foods.