คุHistory[edit]
Asahi was founded in Osaka in 1889 as the Osaka Beer Company (大阪麦酒会社 Ōsaka Bakushu Kaisha?).[2] During the First World War German prisoners worked in the brewery.[3]
In 1990, Asahi acquired a 19.9% stake in Australian brewery giant Elders IXL which has since become the Foster's Group.
In The four major beer producers in Japan are Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory producing mainly pale-colored light lagers with an alcohol strength of around 5.0% ABV. Pilsner style lagers are the most commonly produced beer style in Japan, but beer-like beverages, made with lower levels of malts called happoshu (literally, "bubbly alcohol") or non-malt happōsei (発泡性?, literally "a type of bubbly alcohol") have captured a large part of the market, as tax is substantially lower on these products.
Microbreweries have also gained increasing popularity since the 1990s, supplying distinct tasting beers in a variety of styles that seek to match the emphasis on craftsmanship, quality, and ingredient provenance often associated with Japanese food.
Craft beer bars and pubs have also increased in popularity in Japan's major cities, with cities such as Tokyo and Osaka have very vibrant craft beer bar scenes, generally with a focus on local and US craft beers.[