From bankruptcy to revival: Wakasa Beer, Fukui's first craft beer

In the Wakasa region of south-western Fukui Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan, Wakasa Beer has long been loved as the prefecture’s first craft beer. Now a brewery in neighbouring Shiga Prefecture has set it in motion again. Nagahama Roman Beer (Nagahama Roman Beer), based in Nagahama on the north-eastern shore of Lake Biwa, released NAGAHAMA AMBER ALE in limited quantities on 20 October 2026.

From bankruptcy to a “business worth keeping”

Wakasa Beer’s former producer was declared bankrupt in August 2025, and its history came close to being broken off. The turning point came when the bankruptcy trustee, who manages the assets of a bankrupt company, assessed the beer’s flavour and the value of the business and judged it a “business worth keeping”. After permission to continue operating was granted, Nagahama Roman Beer, which marks its 30th anniversary in 2026, took it over. Wakasa has long been known as a “Miketsukuni”, a land that supplied seafood and other provisions to the imperial court, and it is a region steeped in food culture. The company aims to combine this food culture with its own brewing skills and put down fresh roots for craft beer in Wakasa. In the world of sake, too, a new brewery has revived a local sake that had died out in Hachioji, Tokyo, and similar moves, in which someone new carries on a local drink, can be seen in many parts of the country.

The first revival beer is an amber ale

The first beer chosen is the amber ale that was once a mainstay of Wakasa Beer. It has a fragrant aroma from roasted caramel malt, an amber colour, malty richness and a gentle sweetness, with a moderate hop bitterness that rounds off a clean finish. It was brewed to be enjoyed with food rather than on its own. It is 5% ABV and comes in a 350 ml can. The malts used come from the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. It must be kept refrigerated, and its shelf life is 180 days from the date of production.

Two breweries, and a side-by-side tasting to come

At the Wakasa brewery, Wakasa Seaside Brewery, the Nagahama Roman Beer production team is cleaning and renewing equipment, but full-scale reopening is expected to take some time. For that reason, this amber ale was brewed at the Nagahama brewery. Head brewer Futoshi Okumura says he is looking forward to the day when people can compare it side by side with the amber ale brewed at the reopened Wakasa brewery.

For now, the beer is sold mainly through shops in Japan and online, and no launch in Europe has been announced. Even so, what deserves attention is the way a small regional brand that went under is surviving in the hands of another company. Try pairing a malt-forward ale from Britain or Belgium, which are easy to find, with sweet-savoury Japanese dishes such as grilled fish or teriyaki made with soy sauce or miso, and you may get a sense of the “beer for the table” this one is aiming to be. It will also be worth watching how the two amber ales differ once the Wakasa brewery reopens.