Ten Forward

In Iwami Town, Tottori, right by Uradome Coast, there’s a super-microbrewery that can only make 200 bottles per batch. It’s called Ten Forward.

The brewing space is only about 3 to 4 tatami mats, and almost the entire process is done by hand. It’s run by the husband-and-wife team of Dai Kurosaki and Kaori.

Dai used to work for Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. After leaving the bank and going independent as a financial planner, he moved from Hyogo to Iwami Town in 2020. He loves beer so much that he always looks for local brews when he travels, and that led him to start the challenge of making beer in this town by Uradome Coast.

They self-renovated a vacant Showa-retro house and turned it into a place that serves as both a private guesthouse for one group and a brewery. It’s a three-minute walk from Uradome Coast. The name comes from the bar Ten Forward on the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek. It reflects their wish to create a place where all kinds of people can gather and talk.

The three regular beers are great. 'Tanada Rice Ale' uses Koshihikari rice from Yokoo Terraces, selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Terraced Rice Fields, and has a flavor that pairs well with Japanese food. 'Belgian White Wild Yuzu' is brewed with wild yuzu that grows naturally in the mountains of Iwami and that they harvest themselves, plus coriander seed, making it a great match for seafood. 'Sakura IPA' is made by gently smoking the malt with cherry-blossom smoke wood, so it goes well with meat dishes.

They also have seasonal limited releases. In spring it’s Summer Orange Golden Ale, in summer Blueberry Sour Ale, in autumn Tottori Pear Weizen, and in winter Benten Musume Sake Lees White. The brewing water is also natural water from the underflow of the Gamogawa River, filtered through an NSF-certified purifier that meets international standards.