The craft beer specialty shop “Entrance to Beer NOVICE,” near Kawagoe Station, announced a new tap on March 19. The new addition is “Mijutsu Kaisen” (ABV 5.0%), a session IPA from Aquwa Brew works in Minami-Urawa.

In the post, the beer is described as having a “bright, refreshing fruitiness from the hops, while remaining fairly light” and as being “easy to drink quickly thanks to its light body.” It is designed to deliver plenty of aroma while keeping the heft down, making it a style that works well as a first drink or alongside food.

The tap lineup that day was the following five beers:

- Raspberry Light (U.B.P Brewery)
- Weizen (Hana) (Hoshino Seisakusho (Mugi))
- Fukaya Niboutou Ale (Chichibu Beer)
- Tokoro Brownie (Tokoro Beer Brewery)
- Mijutsu Kaisen (Aquwa Brew works)

From fruit beer and weizen to brown ale and session IPA, the strength of the day was that you could choose among labels with very different aromas and body profiles at the same time. It was a lineup that made it easy to compare the character of breweries across Saitama Prefecture all in one place.

NOVICE is a beer pub that continues to position itself as “easy for craft beer beginners to enter,” and it is located three minutes on foot from Kawagoe Station and five minutes on foot from Hon-Kawagoe Station. Another appeal is the easygoing setup, where you can tell the staff what you like and choose accordingly at the counter. The shop also noted that there was room to spare during the holidays, making it a place worth checking out for anyone who wants to take their time drinking Saitama craft beer in the Kawagoe area.