Welcome to The Craft Beer Association Website! [for Japanese]
The Japan Craft Beer Association have beer renamed The Craft Beer Association


* The International Beer Cup 2024 Award Winner List (Gold / Silver / Bronze)
* The International Beer Cup 2024 Category Champion List


The Craft Beer Association Important Events 2024

[Beer Competitions] for entrants and beer judges only
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International Beer Cup 2024
* The International Beer Cup 2024
<Registration>
Date: 29th of July - 5th of September, 2024
<Judging>
Date: 11th - 13th of October, 2024
Place: at SAPPORO BANKEI SKI AREA, Sapporo city, Hokkaido
<Award Ceremony>
Date: 14th of October, 2024
Place: at TKP Garden City Premium Sapporo, Sapporo City, Hokkaido.
(Award Winners without color of medals
will be announced in the evening of
13th of October on this Web-site.)
Started: since 1996
2024: 1300 beers will be judged
Details and Registration
(from outside of Japan)

*If your company locates in Japan, please contact to us by email which is shown on the bottom of this page.
2023 Medal Winners List@2023 Category Champion List
2022 Medal Winners List@2022 Category Champion List
2021 Medal Winners List@2021 Category Champion List
2020 Medal Winners List@2020 Category Champion List
2019 Medal Winners List@2019 Category Champion List
2018 Medal Winners List@2018 Category Champion List
2017 Medal Winners List@2017 Category Champion List
2016 Winners List
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The Craft Beer Association Important Events 2023

[Beer Competitions] for entrants and beer judges only
@
International Beer Cup 2023
* The International Beer Cup 2023
<Judging>
Date: 28th - 30th of September, 2023
Place: TKP Kanazawa Conference Center, Kanazawa city, Ishikawa pref.
<Award Ceremony>
Date: 1st of October, 2023
Place: in Kanazawa city, Ishikawa pref.
(The ceremony venue will be announced.)
(Award Winners without color of medals
will be announced in the evening of
30th of September on this Web-site.)
Started: since 1996
2023: 1300 beers will be judged
Details and Registration
(from outside of Japan)

*If your company locates in Japan, please contact to us by email which is shown on the bottom of this page.
2022 Medal Winners List@2022 Category Champion List
2021 Medal Winners List@2021 Category Champion List
2020 Medal Winners List@2020 Category Champion List
2019 Medal Winners List@2019 Category Champion List
2018 Medal Winners List@2018 Category Champion List
2017 Medal Winners List@2017 Category Champion List
2016 Winners List
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The Craft Beer Association Important Events 2022

[Beer Competitions] for entrants and beer judges only
@
International Beer Cup 2022
* The International Beer Cup 2022
<Judging>
Date: 8th - 10th of October, 2022
Place: Congres Square Haneda, Ota City, Tokyo
<Award Ceremony>
* Award Winner will be announced on Tuesday, 11th of October on this Web-site.
Award Ceremony will not be held due to coronavirus pandemic.
Started: since 1996
2022: 1200 beers will be judged
Details and Registration(from outside of Japan)
*If your company locates in Japan, please contact to us by email which is shown on the bottom of this page.
2022 Medal Winners List@2022 Category Champion List
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The Craft Beer Association Important Events 2021

[Beer Competitions] for entrants and beer judges only
@
International Beer Cup 2021
* The International Beer Cup 2021
<Judging>
Date: 17th - 18th of September, 2021
Place: Osanbashi Hall, Yokohama
<Award Ceremony>
* Award Winner will be announced on Monday, 20th of September on this Web-site.
* Award Ceremony will not be held due to coronavirus pandemic.
Started: since 1996
2021: 800 beers will be judged
Details and Registration(from outside of Japan)
*If your company locates in Japan, please contact to us by email which is shown on the bottom of this page.
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The Craft Beer Association Important Events 2020

[Beer Festivals] for all beer lovers
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BeerFes Tokyo
* Great Japan Beer Festival, Tokyo 2020
Date: 6th, 7th June 2020
Place: The Garden Hall at Yebisu Garden Place in Tokyo
Started: since 1998
2020: 5,500 beer enthusiasts are expected
Detail: To be announced
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BeerFes Okinawa
* Great Japan Beer Festival, Okinawa 2020
Date: 12th - 14th June 2020
Place: Times Building, Naha
Started: since 2014
2020: 2,000 beer enthusiasts are expected
Detail: To be announced
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BeerFes Osaka
* Great Japan Beer Festival, Osaka 2020
Date: 10th - 12th July 2020
Place: MyDome Osaka
Started: since 2003
2020: 4,500 beer enthusiasts are expected
Detail: To be announced
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BeerFes Nagoya
* Great Japan Beer Festival, Nagoya 2020
Date: 8th, 9th August 2020
Place: Shirotori Hall at Nagoya Congress Center
Started: since 2011
2020: 3,000 beer enthusiasts are expected
Detail: To be announced
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BeerFes Yokohama
* Great Japan Beer Festival, Yokohama 2020
Date: 12th - 13th September 2020
Place: Osanbashi Hall at Yokohama Port
Started: since 2006
2020: 9,500 beer enthusiasts are expected
Detail: To be announced
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[Beer Competitions] for entrants and beer judges only
@
International Beer Cup 2020
* The International Beer Cup 2020
<Judging>
Date: 31st October - 1st November 2020
Place: Yokohama Roudou Plaza, Yokohama
<Award Ceremony>
Date: undecided
Place: undecided
Started: since 1996
2019: 500 beers will be judged
Details and Registration(from outside of Japan)
*If your company locates in Japan, please contact to us by email which is shown on the bottom of this page.
More Information by email as follow
email: info \\ craftbeerassociation.jp
(\\ should be change to @, and take off spaces)


For earthquake & Tsunami in east part of Japan
Thank you for your suport, we are very much appriciated,
Thank you again!

Please use this logo for your website and/or print for your reference.
@Transplant GIF for Website@Diameter 10‡p
@Diameter 20cm@
.
Dear Friends and Beer Lovers,
The Japan Craft Beer Association wishes to express its deepest condolences to victims and people affected by the earthquake that hit Tohoku and Kanto regions of Japan.
.
JCBA has received many thoughtful inquiries about the safety of breweries, beer pubs, distributors and bear tasters from their counterparts in Japan and overseas. In addition, brewers and beer lovers have expressed hearty support for the disaster victims in many ways.
.
In order to respond to a show of good faith from our friends in and out of Japan and to meet our social responsibilities, we have decided to raise donations in the following manner. The goodwill money will be donated directly to prefectural governments, city and town offices in the disaster regions.
.
It is because we strongly believe what fuels the growth of rich beer culture lies in the healthy community that provides backbone to the livelihood of brewers and beer lovers. The restoration process is expected to be on the order of decades. Without restoration of the living sphere of those people, how can the craft beer industry restore?
.
We sincerely appreciate your understanding to our request and kind support for our cause.
Thank you and warmest regards.
.
Ryouji Oda, President Japan Craft Beer Association
.
[Donation Details]
œ Bank Account to transfer your donations:
Swift Code: BOTKJPJT
Bank Name: Bank of Mitsubishi Tokyo UFJ, Ltd.
Branch Name: Ashiya Branch (Branch Code 483)
Branch Address: 12-26, Ohara-Cho, ASHIYA CITY, HYOGO, JAPAN
Account Number: 0053751 (Ordinary Account)
Account Name: JCBA Donation Account
œ Donation Period:
March 23 to October 31, 2011
œ Donation Receivers:
Prefecture governments, city and town offices in disaster regions. The exact receivers will be informed by further webpage updates.
œ Acknowledgment of Donators
Your names will be listed in JCBA webpage upon your request. Please communicate your name and/or the amount of money donated to the following email address:
contribution \\ beertaster.org (please replace \\ with @ and remove space characters before and after the sign.)
œ Balance Report
At the end of the donation period, receivers and the amount donated will be posted on JCBA webpage.
œ For further inquiries, please contact: Japan Craft Beer Association
contribution \\ beertaster.org (please replace \\ with @ and remove space characters before and after the sign.)
Japan Craft Beer association for English



ACTIVITIES of the CRAFT BEER ASSOCIATION


Mr. Ryouji R. Oda founded Japan Craft Beer Association on July 1994 and is its President.

Education Programs: Beer Taster, Beer Judge, Beer Coordinator

@1) We are teaching the beer style and off-flavor to beginners of beer enthusiasts, and conducting the qualifying examination to them. The successful examinees will receive the Certificate of Beer Taster. This program started in January 1995. The number of trainees counts over 7,500 and the successful examinees are exceeding 6,000.
@2) Also we periodically teach people who have the qualification of the Beer Taster to train ability for judging beers, and conducting the qualifying examination to them. The successful examinees will receive the Certificate of Beer Judge. This program started in 1996 and the successful examinees are over 400 so far.
@3) The Beer Coordinator Program is an educational course of perfect matching of beers and foods. Participants will experience the third flavor which is impressively created by synthetic flavor reaction coming from correctly selected/coordinated beer with food. At the end of program, they will take the qualifying examination for receiving the Certificate of Beer Coordinator.

Beer Competitions: the IBC and the ABC

@1) The International Beer Competition (IBC) has being held every year since 1996 with the subject of commercial beers brewed around the world. Until now the participated judges from overseas are including Michael Jackson, Charlie Papazian, Peter Manders, Bill Siebel, Lyn Kruger, Colin Page, Monica Mandrutiu, Chris Marchbanks and so on. Judges of the IBC have an opportunity to taste all entry beers into this competition at the Celebrate the Goddess of Brewing which will be held just after finish of the IBC.
@2)  Since 1998 the Asia Beer Cup (ABC) has being held every year with the subject of commercial beers brewed in Asia-Pacific countries. In 2013, following persons are expected to participate as judges from Asian countries : Carl Setzer, Michael Jordan, Leon Mickelson, Teddy Gowan, Scott Baczek, Michael Comerton, Boris Mesones, Quentin Yah, Junghoon Yoon and so on. All judges of the ABC have an opportunity to taste all entry beers into this competition at the Celebrate the Goddess of Brewing which will be held just after finish of the ABC.

Beer Festivals: GJBF, Grande Biere, Le Beau Mariage

@1)  Since 1998 the Great Japan Beer Festival (GJBF) has being held every year in 4 large cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama and Nagoya. Total visitors to the GJBF 2012 counted approximately 20,000
@2)  The Grande Biere is an exhibition of premium craft beers and held every year from 2009 at the Tokyo Midtown Hall, one of the highest grade shopping/office centers in Tokyo. Approximately 3,000 visitors enjoyed sophisticated aroma/flavor of premium craft beers with special cuisines at the Grande Biere 2012.
@3)  The Le Beau Mariage is a classy event offering visitors an impressive experience of the perfect marriage of beer and food, started in 2012. About 500 visitors who were all gastronomes enjoyed 50 delicious plates matched with 50 craft beers.

Other Important Events by Craft Beer Association

@1)  The International Craft Beer Conference, started in 2011, is an academic meeting to discuss with guest participants from domestic and overseas on various subjects related to the craft beer such as brewing/fermenting technology, new brewing system, unusual materials, marketing development, financial problem of small brewery, creation of craft beer culture, etc. aiming at improvement and growth of the craft beer worldwide.
@2)  The Nippon (Tokyo) Craft Beer Week, started in 2010, is a promotional campaign for increasing consumptions of craft beers. The Craft Beer Association calls various craft beer pubs as well as microbreweries for setting up collaborated events provoking beer drinkers to visit various pubs around Tokyo area in this period.
@3)  The Asia Craft Beer Meeting is now in plan to start in 2013 aiming at promoting and building up mutual communications and friendly relations in between craft beer breweries/traders in Asian countries.

 [Remark]
@@@Japan Craft Beer Association has been renamed to "The Craft Beer Association"
@@@Japan Asia Beer Cup also has been renamed to "The Asia Beer Cup"



CRAFT BEER MARKET IN JAPAN

@In 1994, the year Craft Beer Association was founded by Ryouji Oda, the Government of Japan eased restriction on the lowest limit of annual beer production per one brewery from 20,000 hl to 600 hl. As results, more than 310 microbreweries newly opened and total annual productions of craft beer reached approximately 150,000 hl until 1998. It seemed that craft beer business is expanding more and more in the future. However the economic depression restrained overall consumptions of beer. In addition traditional beer customers who were familiar with "thin" light lagers by mega-breweries resisted to drink flavorful, hoppy, malty and bitter craft beers from microbreweries. Consequently 25% of microbreweries were obliged to withdraw from the craft beer market.

@Since 2005, consumptions of the craft beer had gradually revived and total annual productions counted approximately 290,000 hl by 2008 although the number of new breweries had not so much increased. This is because of newly emerged young customers who never have a wrong prejudice about the craft beer. There were already craft beers when they became 20 years old to be allowed drinking alcohol. This is different from old generations who could not experience other than light lagers when became adult age. On the contrary new young customers had lots of opportunities to compare fairly both craft beers and light lagers without prejudice, and most of them had a tendency to choose flavorful craft beers. In addition, the number of craft beer pubs had increased in large cities since 2005. They had offered easy circumstances for young customers to experience the craft beer.

@Today, Japanese craft beer market is still in a prosperous condition. The number of microbreweries has revived up to 270 by 2012, and total annual production volumes of craft beer are estimated 350,000 hl by the end of 2013.


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