US-born brewer builds handmade taproom at Akita brewery

Akita Prefecture lies in northern Honshu on the Sea of Japan coast and is known for its rice and sake. In Daisen, an inland city there, a small brewery run by an American brewer has taken a new step.

An Illinois native and his wife build it by hand

The brewery is called Akita Brewing Company. Its representative, Jason Pollard (55), is from Illinois in the United States. According to the Akita Sakigake Shimpo, a taproom has now been completed at the brewery. A taproom is a space inside or next to a brewery where you can drink the beer made there. Pollard did the interior himself as a DIY project, finishing it together with his wife, Ryoko Morita, who is from Chiba Prefecture (just east of Tokyo). The thought the couple put into the place is a simple one: they want people to enjoy craft beer without fuss.

Craft with the maker in view

According to SAKE Street, a Japanese information site on alcoholic drinks, the US trade body the Brewers Association names small size and independence as conditions for being “craft”, and also stresses ties with the local community. In Japan, it says, the word “craft” also carries connotations of a handmade feel and small output. A taproom, where you drink right beside the brewing tanks in a space the brewer has fitted out personally, is a place where these elements take direct form. SAKE Street also argues that the history of small American breweries building up their industry through their own efforts offers lessons for the sake industry. This case of a brewer from abroad continuing small-scale brewing in rural Japan is another scene reflecting the growing diversity of Japanese drinks.

A note for European readers: enjoying Japanese craft beer

We have not yet been able to confirm whether this brewery’s beer is available in Europe. Even so, there is something worth noting. If you come across a Japanese craft beer, check the brewery’s location on the label and find out who makes it; doing so reveals the story behind the glass. A drinking space attached to a brewery is a culture that echoes the brewery cafés of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, so it may feel familiar to European readers. The Pollard couple’s word “casually” also points to an attitude of enjoying drinks without formality, alongside an ordinary meal and within your own limits. With the same ease, you might also turn your curiosity to sake.