Gotemba Kogen Beer

Gotemba Kogen Beer was founded in 1995 and is a brewery that obtained Shizuoka Prefecture's first local beer license. It is one of the largest pub breweries in Japan, brewing 400 kiloliters a year.

That's about 1.14 million 350 ml cans. The founder, Kiyokazu Shoji, was once the president of the meat processing company Yonekyu. As he traveled back and forth through Europe, his dream of brewing beer grew. With the idea of giving employees work beyond meat processing and a dream to pursue, he launched the resort facility Tokinosumika as well.

He brought in a brewmaster from Germany to get the operation off the ground in earnest, and the current head brewer is Sakae Kadokura. He has been brewing for more than a quarter century since 1998, and also serves as the representative of the winery. And the "Gotemba Koshihikari Lager" he made is especially impressive.

Yes. What's more, they buy only the top 20% of Koshihikari grown in Gotemba every year. This Koshihikari is a brand rice that took first place nationwide in the 2021 "Rice Japan No. 1 Contest." Kadokura says that if the Koshihikari brand value rises, awareness of their beer will rise too, building a symbiotic relationship with local farmers.

Their standard Weizen and Pils both won gold medals in a double win at the International Beer Competition 2013. For the 30th anniversary, they also released a commemorative beer called "GOLDEN PEAK" made with Cascade hops. Drinking while looking at the brewing kettle in the 400-seat restaurant is the best.