Amakusa Sonar Beer

Did you know there’s a brewery in Amakusa run by a working hairstylist?

That’s Shinya Araki of Amakusa Sonar Beer. He was born in Amakusa and spent 13 years as a hairstylist in Omotesando, Tokyo. While he was in Tokyo, he was struck by the beauty of Belgian beer and decided, "I want to make beer that can only be brewed in Amakusa with my own hands." After training in brewing at Nichinan Beer in Miyazaki, he opened his brewery in 2020.

Exactly. He still runs the salon, so he’s juggling both jobs. And the brewery’s biggest strength is Japan’s westernmost hop field. On about 2,000 square meters of land they grow 17 varieties organically, including Nugget, Cascade, Eldorado, Chinook, and Centennial.

What’s more, his father used to be a loquat farmer and supports the agricultural side. They also recycle the spent grain from brewing into compost and return it to the fields, so it’s truly a farm-and-brew operation run by father and son.

Their flagship, WhitePearl, is a Belgian White made with 100% home-grown hops and Amakusa’s specialty pear citrus, using both the peel and the juice lavishly. They use Amakusa groundwater as-is, without any water adjustment. They’re also known nationwide for their smoothie sour ales, which are brewed with a unique recipe built around seasonal fruit.

Their hazy IPA Native Dancer uses Incognito hops and has an ABV of 6.5%, while their West Coast Pilsner SONAR DROP has an ABV of 5.5%. The lineup is pretty bold overall. Maybe it’s the hairstylist’s sensibility, but even the beer’s appearance and naming have a distinctive aesthetic.