Dekoboko Brewery Works

Have you heard of Dekoboko Brewery Works in Aichi? It's a pretty new, freshly opened brewery.

The representative, Hiromichi Toyoshima, is a 49-year-old who really loves beer. What makes this brewery special is that they make beer together with users of a Type B continuous employment support facility, people with disabilities.

In Toyoshima's own words, he wants it to be a place where the people with disabilities who brew there can shine. The Chunichi Shimbun headline was, "Dreaming of Toasting with My Son over Beer."

What's interesting about the location too is that it's in a corner of a textile wholesaler district called Ichinomiya Sennin Danchi. It's like breathing new life into a commercial complex that once prospered through the textile industry, using beer brewing.

What's more, on May 22 they'll also hold an event called "Craft Beer & Rakugo Night" at Community Cafe Kagayohi in Iwakura. It's a plan to enjoy beer and rakugo in the same place. They also hold tap takeovers at Sanya in Ichinomiya, so they're well connected with local restaurants.

What ties welfare, beer, and the local community together is exactly what the name Dekoboko means - the idea that different personalities fit together and become one beer.