Nobara Homestead Brewery Brings Aoki Village’s Satoyama Character to Craft Beer
Based in Aoki Village, Nagano, Nobara Homestead Brewery makes beers inspired by the natural resources and everyday life of the surrounding satoyama landscape. From a converted traditional stable, the brewery is building a local beer culture rooted in seasonal ingredients and circulation.
Hop BroNomura Homestead Brewery in Aoki Village, Nagano, is compelling because its beer carries the whole satoyama lifestyle.
MugiWait, you drink the lifestyle too!? Is it like a whole satoyama in a glass?
Hop BroPretty close. Keisuke and Reiko Nakamura moved from Tokyo and opened the brewery in 2022 by renovating an old stable.
MugiA stable became a brewery!? That is an incredible transformation—from horses to hops!
Hop BroThey use wild herbs, fruit, and honey to express Aoki Village’s seasons and scenery. The article does not specify one beer style, which makes their focus on ingredients feel especially clear.
MugiOoh! But what is permaculture? Is it some kind of magic barley-field spell?
Hop BroAlmost—but it is not magic. It is a circular approach: brewing by-products go back to the fields, so they keep resources in circulation with nature and the community.
MugiThat is lovely—one finished beer can lead back to a field. Will they use more Aoki Village-grown ingredients too?
Hop BroThat is something to watch for. Their regular beers include “Mori no COA” and “Komorebi,” and they are building a tasting room as a place for people and the village to meet.
MugiBeer with the landscape and fresh air sounds perfect! I want to visit Aoki Village and raise a toast to satoyama!
Beer shaped by Aoki Village
Nobara Homestead Brewery is based in Aoki Village, in Nagano Prefecture. Keisuke and Reiko Nakamura, a couple with backgrounds in design, moved from Tokyo to the village in 2021 and founded the brewery in 2022.
The brewery operates in a renovated old stable on their property. Surrounded by the landscapes of Aoki Village, the team works with natural ingredients such as wild plants, fruit and honey, aiming to express the character of the area through beer.
Brewing with a sense of circulation
For Nobara Homestead Brewery, brewing is part of a broader vision of a food and drink culture rooted in everyday life. The brewery places importance on returning brewing by-products to the fields, working with local producers and using regional materials wherever possible. Its approach is influenced by permaculture and the idea of creating a sustainable cycle between people, nature and the land.
The brewery is also exploring the use of Aoki Village-grown ingredients, including locally produced malt. Beers such as Mori no COA and Komorebi reflect the brewery’s interest in conveying the atmosphere of the surrounding woods and fields through the glass.
A tasting room as a local meeting place
Nobara Homestead Brewery is working toward establishing a tasting room at the brewery. The space is expected to give visitors an opportunity to enjoy the beers while experiencing Aoki Village’s landscape and atmosphere, creating a point of connection between travelers, local residents and the brewery.
A beer from Nobara Homestead Brewery offers more than hop aroma and bitterness. It also carries the seasons, ingredients and way of life of the satoyama where it is made. For beer lovers visiting Nagano, the brewery offers a distinctive opportunity to taste Aoki Village through its local ales.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroNomura Homestead Brewery in Aoki Village, Nagano, is compelling because its beer carries the whole satoyama lifestyle.
MugiWait, you drink the lifestyle too!? Is it like a whole satoyama in a glass?
Hop BroPretty close. Keisuke and Reiko Nakamura moved from Tokyo and opened the brewery in 2022 by renovating an old stable.
MugiA stable became a brewery!? That is an incredible transformation—from horses to hops!
Hop BroThey use wild herbs, fruit, and honey to express Aoki Village’s seasons and scenery. The article does not specify one beer style, which makes their focus on ingredients feel especially clear.
MugiOoh! But what is permaculture? Is it some kind of magic barley-field spell?
Hop BroAlmost—but it is not magic. It is a circular approach: brewing by-products go back to the fields, so they keep resources in circulation with nature and the community.
MugiThat is lovely—one finished beer can lead back to a field. Will they use more Aoki Village-grown ingredients too?
Hop BroThat is something to watch for. Their regular beers include “Mori no COA” and “Komorebi,” and they are building a tasting room as a place for people and the village to meet.
MugiBeer with the landscape and fresh air sounds perfect! I want to visit Aoki Village and raise a toast to satoyama!
