6 June 2009 was an important day for me. I had the opportunity to sample 120 different Japanese beers in an afternoon. That’s how many craft beers were being served at the Great Japan Beer Festival in Tokyo.

I mentioned previously how challenging it was to find local microbrews in Japan but today, the mothership landed at Ebisu Garden Hall in Tokyo. The Japan Craft Beer Association organizes these festivals yearly in Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama. And I’m told the Yokohama leg has the best atmosphere.

If you’re into craft beers as we are, there’s no better place to be to experience Japanese brews. You won’t see the commercial labels like Asahi, Ebisu or Sapporo in this place. But you’ll find really exquisite Japanese beers like Ginga Kogen, Sumida River, Hokkaido Beer, Fukishima Ji Beer, Daisen G, Harvestmoon, Swan Lake, Iwata Kura… the list goes on, like I said, 120 beers.

If I had to choose a favourite from this session, it would have to be Fujizakura Kogen weizen which is fruity and aromatic, perfect for a sunny afternoon such as this.

Okay, so I’ll admit, I didn’t quite get round to tasting 120 different beers, but I could have…