History

It all began with a single glass of beer in an American pub. The year was the early 1980s.
Yoshiharu Hoshino, the fourth-generation heir to a hot-spring inn in Karuizawa (and future president of Hoshino Resorts), was studying at graduate school in the United States. One day, he happened to step into a pub in New York.
The moment he took a casual sip of the beer he had ordered, he was struck speechless.
“What is this? This is nothing like the beer I know in Japan.”

It was a deep amber color that promised complex flavor.
The aroma was captivating, and the taste on the palate was vibrant and aromatic.
It wasn't just about how easily it went down the throat; it left a profound, lingering richness.

At that time in Japan, beer was synonymous with throat feel, bitterness, and crisp refreshment.
This beer was something entirely different.

He learned it was a style called Ale. When he told the bartender he had never tasted anything like it in Japan, the bartender was genuinely surprised.

Across America, small-scale breweries known as microbreweries were beginning to flourish. Hoshino witnessed firsthand the rapid growth of this emerging craft beer culture.
A quiet dream took root in his heart: Someday, I want to bring this to Japan.

At the time, Japanese law made it nearly impossible for new companies to enter the beer industry.
Even after returning to Japan and helping run the family inn, Hoshino’s passion for beer never faded.

The turning point came in 1994.
A revision to the Liquor Tax Act lowered the production requirements and opened the door to small-scale brewing.
Hoshino seized the opportunity and founded YOHO Brewing in 1996, more than ten years after his first encounter with craft beer in New York.

Following the deregulation, many small breweries opened across Japan, quickly labeled as local 'ji-beer' meant mostly for regional tourism.
However, YOHO Brewing’s vision was completely different.

“We wanted to build a genuine craft beer culture throughout Japan, rather than just selling local souvenirs.”

We invested in large-scale brewing equipment capable of nationwide distribution, along with custom canning lines to reach supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide.
This massive initial investment was a bold bet on the future of Japanese beer.

Our founder had a clear vision for the flavor profile of our flagship beer.

He looked to the United States, where the craft beer movement was growing rapidly and creating massively popular beers across the nation.
The most popular style was the American Pale Ale, a classic style defined by the generous use of aromatic American hops.
He was convinced that this bold flavor would become the new standard in Japanese beer culture.

Aiming for world-class quality, our founding brewers traveled to the U.S. to master the craft firsthand.
Upon returning, they spent months refining the recipe to capture their ideal taste.

Finally, they perfected a beautiful amber ale featuring a bright citrus aroma from Cascade hops, a gentle malt sweetness, and a smooth, clean bitterness.
On July 7, 1997, our flagship beer made its debut:
“Yona Yona Ale”

We named it 'Yona Yona' (meaning 'every night' in Japanese) to invite people to enjoy this flavorful alternative to uniform mass-market lagers night after night.

Boosted by the ji-beer boom and the excitement of the Nagano Winter Olympics, orders poured in, making the launch a massive success.

However, as with many trends, the initial boom did not last.
Within about three years, the local beer craze cooled down, leading to closures and bankruptcies across the industry.
YOHO Brewing was hit hard, eventually facing eight consecutive years of losses.

The days when beer flew off the shelves felt like a distant memory.
Our products disappeared from store shelves,
and sales visits were often met with closed doors.

Employees began leaving the company, losing faith in both the product and the future of craft beer.

“Tencho” (Naoyuki Ide, now the company’s president), who was then a core member of the team, approached the founder and confessed:

“YOHO Brewing is finished.”

“Is it really? Let’s give it everything we’ve got. If it still doesn’t work, we’ll close the company and spend our days fishing.”

Those words reignited Tencho’s determination. We haven’t done everything yet.
While continuing to improve the quality of our beer,
he turned his attention to Rakuten Ichiba, Japan’s online shopping platform.
The e-commerce strategy launched there became the driving force behind the company’s dramatic V-shaped recovery.

In 2008, Tencho succeeded Hoshino as the company’s second president.
Since then, YOHO Brewing has expanded in many directions—through fan events such as “Yona Yona Ale no Cho-Utage,”
the development of a diverse and distinctive beer lineup,
expanded distribution in supermarkets and convenience stores,
and the opening of official brewery restaurants, establishing a solid position in the craft beer market.

Today, there are more than 900 craft breweries in Japan.
What was once considered “local beer” primarily for tourists is now widely enjoyed as craft beer in everyday life.
With Yona Yona Ale readily available at convenience stores and supermarkets across Japan,
the world we once dreamed of is steadily becoming a reality.

As we approach our 30th anniversary,
YOHO Brewing aims to look beyond standard manufacturing.
We are committed to delivering beer-centered entertainment to the world
and continuing to lead the craft beer market in Japan.