Y.Market Brewing

Y.Market Brewing is absolutely essential when talking about Nagoya's craft beer scene. It started in 2014 as Nagoya's first craft beer brewery.

The “Y” stands for Yanagibashi, and “MARKET” refers to the Yanagibashi Central Wholesale Market, which has been around since the Meiji era and is called Nagoya's kitchen. They began brewing on the corner of that market.

The founder, Yasuhiro Yamamoto, is the third-generation owner of Okadaya, a long-established liquor store founded in 1935. Someone who had originally sold alcohol in the market area took the leap into making it himself.

And the head brewer, Masato Kaji, has an interesting background too. He entered this path after being shocked by Brutopia IPA in Canada. Their flagship beer, Purple Sky Pale Ale, takes its name directly from the purple sky he saw during his time in Canada.

More recently, they've released beers like MASTERPIECE EXCEED, an IPA that gives a hazy finish to classic hop character, and Bee With You, a honey wheat ale with a floral honey aroma. They also make something like Nagoya Kishimen White, brewed with kishimen noodles from Yamamotoya Sohonke.

So far they've created more than 100 different beers, and now their second brewery in Nagoya's Nishi Ward is operating at three times the size of the original. They also run five directly managed locations. Their Meieki Brewing Kitchen has a brewery on the first floor and a restaurant upstairs.