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    • Spring
      • video

        Finding the Flow from Kansai to Kochi

        Shikoku’s many mountains, valleys and proximity to the ocean has made it a hidden gem for rafting, kayaking and canyoning enthusiasts willing to take a step or two further from the Golden Route of Kyoto and Osaka.

        Solace and Giant Salamanders in Akiota

        Just beyond Hiroshima City is a tranquil outdoor destination home to some of Japan's last remaining oosanshouo, the elusive giant salamander.
        Kyoto Oni Trail Outdoor Japanvideo

        The Oni Trail: Hiking Coastal Kyoto

        The mystical oni is prevalent in Japanese children’s stories, usually as a way to scare kids straight. Adventure Travel Kyoto is shedding a new light on this folklore and developing a new hiking route in the countryside of Kyoto.
    • Summer
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
        adventure travel world summit in hokkaido

        Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido

        The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
        mead brewing in japan

        The Sweet Secrets of Brewing Mead

        Wander into the world of mead brewing and find yourself immersed in a fascinating journey spanning centuries and continents.
        the knights in white lycra

        The Knights in White Lycra

        Each year a group of cyclists head to the deep north towards Tohoku’s vast rice fields and coastal trails to help transform the lives of neglected children.
        sea to table yamagata

        Sea to Table in Yamagata

        An unforgettable way to intimately explore the Shonai Region in Yamagata is a culinary experience bringing bounty of the sea straight to your table.
    • Autumn
      • Pow Bar Founder Megumi Scott

        Beyond the Brand: Pow Bar

        An interview with Megumi Scott, the founder of Niseko brand Pow Bar.
        Churamura Okinawa Sea Turtle Marine Conservation

        Churamura: Footprints in the Sand

        Churamura, an NPO in Okinawa, work to conserve marine life and protect endangered sea turtles in Japan's southernmost prefecture.
        Kawazu

        Fall in Love with Kawazu

        Enjoy waterfall hikes and hot springs, beautiful beaches and delicious seafood in Kawazu on the western coast of Izu Peninsula.
    • Winter
    • Near Tokyo
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Near Kyoto
      • video

        Finding the Flow from Kansai to Kochi

        Shikoku’s many mountains, valleys and proximity to the ocean has made it a hidden gem for rafting, kayaking and canyoning enthusiasts willing to take a step or two further from the Golden Route of Kyoto and Osaka.
    • All Regions
    • Article Map
    • Ocean and Beach
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • River and Lake
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Mountain and Land
    • Sky
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Snow and Ice
      • climbing mt. fuji off season

        Mt. Fuji: The Path Less Traveled

        Fuji-san is the most climbed mountain in the world. If you are in good shape, there is a way to avoid the traffic for a more peaceful Mt. Fuji experience during the off-season.
    • Travel
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
        adventure travel world summit in hokkaido

        Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido

        The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
        getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
        maota sustainable fashion

        Weaving Stories with Maota

        Maota is a small-scale clothing line working with local craftsmen in the countryside of Aichi and Gifu prefectures. While their focus is on small, local and “slow” fashion, they are moving fast toward some big goals.
        the knights in white lycra

        The Knights in White Lycra

        Each year a group of cyclists head to the deep north towards Tohoku’s vast rice fields and coastal trails to help transform the lives of neglected children.
    • Food and Drinks
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
        adventure travel world summit in hokkaido

        Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido

        The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
        getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
        maota sustainable fashion

        Weaving Stories with Maota

        Maota is a small-scale clothing line working with local craftsmen in the countryside of Aichi and Gifu prefectures. While their focus is on small, local and “slow” fashion, they are moving fast toward some big goals.
        the knights in white lycra

        The Knights in White Lycra

        Each year a group of cyclists head to the deep north towards Tohoku’s vast rice fields and coastal trails to help transform the lives of neglected children.
    • Races and Events
      • fuji rock japan

        2023 Summer Music Festivals

        Get into the groove this green season while enjoying the great outdoors with family and friends.
        Summer Events Fireworks Festivals in Japan

        2023 Fireworks Festivals in Japan

        Enjoy these fireworks festivals held throughout Japan this summer and autumn.

Kampai! in Kansai

Kansai has been long known for its excellent cuisine, from Kyoto’s refined kyō-ryori dishes to the famous wagyū beef of Kobe, Shiga, and Mie, to Osaka’s okonomiyaki and takoyaki. Nada (in Kobe) and Fushimi (in Kyoto) also have the country’s highest concentration of sake breweries, and these two districts produce nearly half of all of Japan’s sake. So, naturally, the region is also among the nation’s leaders in craft beer production. With the heat of summer upon us, thirsty Kansai residents and visitors alike can turn to an ever-increasing number of local breweries and beer bars for a cold glass of tasty alternatives to mass-produced light lager.

Kyoto Brewing’s beers are well suited for summer, as the brewer, Chris Hainge, primarily works with a Belgian yeast strain that tends to ferment dry, making their ales crisp and refreshing. Their Belgian wheat, Nagoriyuki (5%), is filled with delectable fruit flavors including lemon and banana, while Ichii Senshin (6.5%), a Belgian IPA that is one of their flagships, has a little more body but still goes down easily because its spicy yeast adds complexity to the pine and citrus American hops. The summer saison, Natsu no Kimagure, wasn’t on tap yet when I dropped by their taproom (open Saturdays and Sundays, with a fun beer garden that gets busy on sunny afternoons), but Chris said he would use lactic acid bacteria to give it a little tartness, which should help make it deliciously easy to drink.

A little further south, Hainge’s friend Ai Tani has majorly impacted Osaka’s beer scene with her Craft Beer Base network of bars, bottle shops and, recently, original beers. Tani told me she started the original Base in late 2016 because some mainstays of the Osaka craft beer scene had closed and she wanted to create a new home for this culture. The original CBB is a small bar near Osaka Station with a few taps and an extensive cellar featuring hard-to-find bottles imported from Europe and the U.S. (for consumption on premises or takeaway). It has been successful enough that Tani has opened five new locations including Branch, a standing bar focused on her own beers and nitro coffee, Bud, a taproom in Osaka Station with a mix of Japanese and foreign beers, and Garden, a small brewery and taproom with a beer garden patio perfect for warm weather. So far, CBB’s house beers have focused on the American pale ale and IPA categories, but Tani says she is starting to work with Belgian yeast, with a witbier (Belgian white) in the works.

Of course it’s not just new upstarts who have tasty beers to offer. Two of Kansai’s longest-running microbreweries have had some great new releases recently. Ise Kadoya (opened 1997) has heard the siren song of the Northeast IPA (known for haziness, intensely fruity aromas, and low bitterness) and is putting out delicious examples like Neko Ni Hiki (8%) and Refresh (6%), which burst with juicy hop flavors like orange and mango. Osaka-based Minoh Beer (also founded in 1997) has also been playing with combinations of Belgian yeasts and American hops. Their Blooming IPA (6%) is fruitier and more hop-forward than most of Kyoto Brewing’s offerings, with a softer mouthfeel, kind of like a hybrid between the Northeast IPA and Belgian IPA styles. 

If you find yourself in Kansai this summer, be sure to drink plenty of water (it’s hot!) but also don’t miss the tasty local beer selections.

Festival Roundup

  • May 25–26 – Craft Beer Live (Osaka)
  • May 29–June 2 – Keyaki Beer Festival (Saitama)
  • June 7–17 – Hibiya Garden (Tokyo)
  • June 27–July 7 – Belgian Beer Weekend (Tokyo)
  • July 11–July 21 – Belgian Beer Weekend (Osaka)
  • July 27–28 – Shizuoka Craft Beer & Whiskey Fair
  • August 23–25 – National Ji-Biiru Festival (Ichinoseki, Iwate)
  • August 23–September 1 – Kyushu Beer Festival (Kumamoto)
  • August 30–September 8 – Hibiya Garden 2 (Tokyo)
  • September 11–16 – Belgian Beer Weekend (Tokyo)
  • September 14–15 – Mikkeller Beer Celebration (Tokyo)
  • September 18–23 – Kyushu Beer Festival (Fukuoka)
  • September 28–29 – Craft Beer Kanazawa

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