Catch the Beer

Did you know there’s a craft brewery on Yakushima? It’s called Catch the Beer, and there’s a really nice story behind it.

The owner-brewer, Tatsuhiko Egawa, originally lived in Chiba. After his child was born, he moved to Yakushima. He worked at a tourist center and on construction sites on the island, and while talking with local people, he realized that there was no beer culture on the island.

He trained at a small brewery in the Kanto region and obtained a brewing license in 2017. He launched a true microbrewery with a single batch size of just 100 liters.

And that’s exactly why they can make experimental beers. The real strength here is beer made with Yakushima ingredients. The amber ale called "YAKUSHIMA CEDAR" is infused with Yakushima cedar chips during brewing. The spicy character of Belgian yeast, the elegant aroma of cedar, and the floral scent of aroma hops come together, followed by a gentle hop bitterness.

They also make a saison-style beer called "YAKUSHIMA TANKAN" using Yakushima-grown tankan, and a "Passion Session IPA" with passion fruit. Even the adjuncts are all Yakushima-grown, pesticide-free ingredients, including tankan, loquat, passion fruit, and even coriander seed they grow themselves.

The brewery is in a renovated wooden house, and it has an attached taproom with just five seats. You can drink freshly poured draft beer right there.