Ultimate Japanese Beer Guide: Top 12 Must-Drink Beers in Japan

Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in Japan and is consumed even more than the national alcohol, sake. When it comes to Japanese beer, it’s often ordered first to kick start a night out with groups of friends or as knock-off drinks for salarymen with the big boss. There’s even a Japanese expression for it, "toriaezu beer." Made using quality ingredients, fresh running waters from mountains in the local landscapes, and an unbeatable craftsmanship mindset, Japanese beer is typically crisp, clean and delicious.

Japanese beer giants like Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin are now household names overseas, with a range of tasty beer products available in Japan. Suntory also joins these brands to make up the country’s top four beer producers. They are the classic beer to order in Japan to enjoy alongside delicious drinking snacks at local izakaya. Throughout Japan and especially in the bigger cities like Tokyo, there is a rapidly growing Japanese craft beer scene as well.

Below is byFood’s essential guide to Japanese beer, including the top 10 beers you should try on your next visit to Japan. They all go well with the classic Japanese drinking snack, kakipi (a mix of peanuts and crunchy mochi chips shaped like Japanese persimmon seeds). If you're drinking with a group, be sure to always pour some Japanese beer for others before yourself, and make sure there are no empty glasses!

Have you wondered how Japanese beer is different from European or American-style beer? What makes Japanese beer special is that rice is usually used in the brewing process, making pilsner-style lager beer, whereas other countries’ beer is made with barley malt instead. Most but not all Japanese beer is made using rice.

You will notice a lighter and clean flavor from many Japanese beer brands such as Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo, which comes from incorporating rice into their recipes. While not every brewery uses rice, it's a common aspect of many Japanese brewers’ recipes as one of the country’s staple ingredients. They also tend to have a lower malt content, and an alcohol percentage averaging 5%. 

It's believed that Japan had some exposure to beer initially introduced by Dutch traders during the 17th century, but it was not available more widely outside of the upper classes until the 19th century. Once Japan had opened to foreign trade during the Meiji Period, foreign brewers got to work contributing to the local production of beer and training local brewers. In the later years of the 1800s, the Kirin Brewery Company, Sapporo Brewery (the first brewery in Japan), and Asahi Breweries opened, among many others, for wide-scale mass production. Today, there are plenty of microbreweries around as well, featuring limited-edition flavored beer released every season.

Did you know? In recent years, beer gardens have become a quintessential summer activity. Read more about Japanese beer gardens.

The best way to assess a beer’s quality is by its head, the layer of frothy foam. Beer lovers and bartenders in Japan have many tricks and tips on how to get the best foam with every pour. Don’t believe us? Watch Shizuka learn how to pour the best pint.

Now that you know more about Japanese beer, let’s see which brands and variations are worth hunting down. 

There are many breweries around the country, but here are the essential beers you should try while in Japan. 

In its iconic silver can, Asahi Super Dry was first launched in 1987 and is one of Japan’s most famous and much-loved beers. Brewed by Asahi, Super Dry was Japan’s first dry draft beer. Known for its refreshing flavor, it's one of the Japanese beers known throughout the world and available on tap at many restaurants and bars within the country.

In April 2021, after four years of development, Asahi released their Nama Jokki Can. This beer’s innovative packaging took the Japanese social media spheres by storm, and for a good reason. Remember, in Japan, foam is everything. Asahi’s Nama Jokki Can was specially designed to create a from-the-tap-like foam after drinkers crack open the lid. Take our word for it — no canned beer tastes this smooth.

In 1986, Asahi Breweries’s Asahi draft beer led the revival of the Japanese beer company, so much so that it was nicknamed “Yuuhi” (“sunset in Japanese)” beer. However, the equipment used to brew this draft beer was discontinued to concentrate production efforts on Asahi Breweries’s next innovative product, Super Dry. Despite this shift, some restaurants continued to sell Asahi draft beer. Thirty-five years later, in 2021, the company revealed it would bring this legacy beer back, this time in cans, under the “MaruF” label.

The MaruF series is most associated with Asahi’s recent “Otsukare nama desu” campaign. This phrase is a play on the Japanese saying “otsukaresama desu” (most commonly translated as “thank you for your hard work”), a nod to the beer’s signification in the company’s history. It swaps the “sama” for “nama,” referring to draft beer. This Asahi beer is one that people seek for the comforting, nostalgic feeling it brings its consumers. 

Launched in 2002 by Kirin Brewing Company, Kirin Tanrei Green Label Beer has a white can and iconic green labeling. It’s among the best-selling beer in the country and is well known for being an affordable Japanese beer. With a low malt ratio, Tanrei Green Label has richness and sharpness, balanced by a premium taste. 

Premium beer is here! The Suntory beer brand really stands out by using high-quality brewing techniques to brew this malty, aromatic beer. The Premium Malts Beer has a high-quality foam and delicious flavor as a draft-style pilsner beer.

Asahi’s commitment to producing a draft beer experience at home shows no limit. For a premium experience, pick up a can of Shokusai Premium Draft Beer, a luxurious beer made with five varieties hops, including rare hops from France. It’s best enjoyed chilled. 

This beer, utilizing the same technology as Asahi’s Nama Jokki, delivers a light, flavorful foam as soon as you open the can. The act of saying “kanpai” with this beer in hand will feel like a Champagne toast. And with every sip, the beer’s aroma will only intensify, enhancing your drinking experience. 

Light bodied and aromatic yet still packing a punch, Kirin Ichiban Beer is Kirin Brewing Company’s prime brew! Crafted using only the finest ingredients, it goes well with yakinku (Japanese barbeque) for its smooth and rich flavor. 

In its signature royal blue can, Suntory Kinmugi Rich Malt Beer is characterized by its rich use of aromatic hops and bitter hops. Balanced together with a gentle foam and medium fizziness, this golden-colored Japanese beer indeed has a rich malt flavor. 

Created by Sapporo Brewing in 1887, Yebisu Beer is a premium and award-winning brew whose name and logo are inspired by the Japanese mythological god of fortune. Yebisu makes for a great session beer for its even use of hops, subtle froth, and rich malt flavor. 

Loved in Japan for over 130 years, Kirin Lager beer has an intense taste and is a classic beer of Japan. Its foam has a signature thickness to it and is aged at a low temperature. This gives this lager an astringency compared to standard beer, but it's still not too bitter. 

You can’t miss this brew from Hokkaido with its iconic star, Sapporo Black Label Beer is a premium brew that packs a punch! Made from barley and a special brewing technique to preserve the flavor of the beer, it has a long-lasting malt taste. It's a popular Japanese beer around the world.

Produced by Kirin, Nodogoshi Nama is a low gluten, happoshu style beer from Japan. The term happoshu means a “low-malt beer-like beverage”. Beer companies created alcoholic drinks with a lesser malt percentage for reduced tax rates, but these happoshu still give drinkers a great beer-like experience, and Nodogoshi is one of the cheapest on the market. 

The cult-favorite beer that was born in Japan’s southern islands of Okinawa, Orion Draft Beer is mild with a crisp aftertaste. Developed in a semitropical climate, this Okinawan draft lager style beer has a rich body that is perfect for both sipping on beautiful Japanese beaches and in bars around Japan. 

With plenty of big players in the Japanese beer game, there are a lot of different Japanese beers to try. In Japan, the legal drinking age is 20, and you can buy beer on the go from local supermarkets, convenience stores, or even some vending machines! Prices for single cans of beer start at a few hundred yen or a couple of dollars. Some stores may require you to confirm that you are 20 years or older, so remember to have a photo ID on you.

In Japanese, “biru” is the word for beer. As it's a foreign word, beer is written in katakana as ビール. “Nama biru” is the phrase for draft beer (or 生ビール). If you want to order Japanese beer at a restaurant or bar, to say "Can I have a beer" in Japanese, you can use the following phrases:

• Nama biru kudasai (“A draft beer, please”)
• Biru ippai kudasai or Biru hitotsu kudasai (“One beer please”)
• Biru nihai kudasai or Biru futatsu kudasai (“Two beers please”)
• Biru sanbai kudasai or Biru mitsu kudasai (“Three beers please”)
• Asahi kudasai (“Asahi, please”)

Get more tips on how to order at Japanese restaurants from our list of must-know Japanese phrases.

According to country-wide consumption, Asahi Super Dry is the most popular Japanese beer in Japan. Its main competitor is Sapporo Premium. For its signature dry but crisp flavor, it’s arguably the most popular Japanese beer outside of the country as well. 

Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin and Suntory are the major players in the Japanese beer scene. Each company carries multiple labels and sub-brands (think Asahi’s Super Dry and Maru F), so you’re likely to find one that suits your beer preferences.

Yes! Some of Japan’s oldest breweries have been around since the 1880s, but today, Japanese craft beer breweries and microbreweries are also on the rise. Each prefecture boasts both old and new craft beer bars and specialty stores offering interesting brews featuring local ingredients and regional influences or brewing techniques.

Beer in Japan has its own unique set of unwritten rules and traditions. Check out these related posts to learn more about Japanese beer and where to find it:

• Toriazeu Beer: Japan's Unique Beer-First Tradition
• Guide to Japanese Beer Gardens
• Hidden Beer Garden on Mt. Takao
• What are Japanese Snack Bars?
• Top Tokyo Craft Beer Bars