Hazy Labo

Hazy Labo is a brewery that is fully specialized in Hazy IPA, and the founder, Satoshi Azato, has an especially unusual background. He originally worked in the film industry as an MA mixer, in other words, a technician who adjusts audio and sound effects for video production.

He started drinking craft beer around 2014, and in 2017 he encountered Hazy IPA and was blown away. After that, he studied on his own by checking papers every day on American bulletin boards, and when he reached the age of 60 and retired, he obtained a brewing license and opened the brewery in 2023.

The biggest feature here is room-temperature aging. Normally, Hazy beer is all about freshness, and the standard approach is to drink it cold right after brewing, but Azato's original method suppresses oxidative polyphenols, making it possible for the beer to develop even more tropical character as it is left to age at room temperature.

Exactly, this is truly a LABO. They even have a store-exclusive beer called "Luminosa" that is aged at room temperature for 13 months, and they make many experimental batches as well. Some are brewed with only Loral hops, and others use a single variety like Galaxy or Nectaron to study differences in how the haze develops.

What's more, this is a complete family project. His daughter's design company handled the logo and store design, his wife Yuko makes snacks that pair well with the beer at "Kashi Kobo Chiisana Mado," and his son worked on the interior construction.

They also brew a beer called "CROSS ROAD" using hops grown by Sayama residents. It's a truly 100 percent local beer, with every step from ingredients to brewing completed in Sayama. And it's only a one-minute walk from Shin-Sayama Station, so it's easy to drop by.