Buso Brewery

Buso Brewery has a pretty unusual origin story. It was launched by a joint investment from 10 food and drink businesses in Machida. Yakiniku places, izakaya, Italian restaurants - all kinds of businesses came together.

They say it was the first in Japan themselves. The spark came during the pandemic, when the restaurant industry was getting crushed, and the owners held a meeting called the 'Buso Council.' That's when they said, 'Come to think of it, there isn't any beer made in Machida, is there?'

It's an old place name for the border region between Musashi Province and Sagami Province. It includes areas like Machida, Sagamihara, Yamato, and Ebina. It's a name that carries the area's history.

Their flagship beer is 'JIYU~Freedom~'. It's a New England IPA with bright hop aromatics and a pleasantly thick mouthfeel. The name comes from Machida's history of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement. The brand name 'Kawasemi Brew' comes from Machida's city bird, the kingfisher, and was chosen from more than 1,200 public submissions.

That's a saison made with Machida-grown yuzu. ABV 6%, IBU 30. The brewing lead, Mr. Imafuku, used to work at Keep Will Dining for six years, and he jumped into this project when he was asked to join.

They also do DJ events and market stalls, so they aren't just making beer - they're trying to create a place for the community. That's exactly what makes this 10-company co-creation style so distinctive.