Bright Blue Brewing

First, let me talk about the location of Bright Blue Brewing in Fujiyoshida. It's inside a complex called FUJIHIMURO, which was renovated from the ice chamber of the former Fuji Ice plant.

From the taproom, you can see the fermentation tanks through glass, and the beer is served in clear masu cups. And the name "Bright Blue" comes from the color of the moment before dawn, when Mt. Fuji and the sky seem to melt into one.

The career of plant manager Nozomu Kikuchi is also fascinating. He originally worked as a kimono instructor and in the world of Japanese cuisine. While traveling around the world, he experienced how craft beer became the "light" of a city, and from the brewery's launch in 2021, he made the leap into brewing.

Brewing director Akira Kikuchi is a seasoned pro who gained experience at Echigo Beer and elsewhere. The beers made by this team include "Yuzu no Ka Saison," which uses Yamanashi-grown yuzu and has a substantial 7.6% ABV; "NE IPA," with aromas of passion fruit, peach, and muscat grape; and the distinctive "Otoso Brown Ale," made with chenpi, clove, cinnamon, and sansho pepper.

They also make "Jalapeño Saison," brewed with fresh jalapeños grown in Fujiyoshida, and its green aroma and sharp heat are fantastic. Kikuchi's philosophy is not to reproduce a fixed, standard flavor; even with the same ingredients, he changes the brewing each time based on ripeness.

They've also launched a local residents' and hop growers' association, and they're cultivating the rare hop "Kaikogane" on abandoned farmland. Through beer making, they're helping restore the region's farmland too.