Beer classification[edit]
Due to the Japanese taxation system, the varieties of brewed malt beverages in Japan are categorized into two groupings: beer and happoshu. The distinction is made based on the amount of malt used relative to grain adjuncts, with the term happoshu ascribed to low-malt brews. Japanese regulations forbid the use of the word "beer" (ビール bīru?) to describe brews containing less than 67% malt (thus allowing up to 33% adjuncts including rice, corn, sorghum, potato, starch, and sugar).[11][12]
Since 2004, Japanese breweries have produced even lower-taxed, non-malt brews made from soybeans and other ingredients which do not fit the classifications for beer or happoshu. Dubbed "third-category beers" (第三のビール dai-san no bīru?),[4] they are officially classified as "other miscellaneous alcohol" or "liqueur".
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.[