Japanese Craft Beer Evolves Overseas: From Export to Local Production, Integrated with Japanese Cuisine, a New Business Model in China

■ Japanese craft beer culture is expanding into new territories overseas. Navigator Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Noriyoshi Nomura) has established "Kamakura Beer Nomura Brewery" within "Nomura Sōsaku Nihon Ryōri" (Nomura Creative Japanese Cuisine), which it operates at the "Meiluo Xiaoshe Center" commercial facility in Suzhou, China. This brewery operates under the technical guidance of Kamakura Beer Brewing Co., Ltd. (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative Director & President: Kotaro Imamura), a company with numerous domestic and international awards. This new brewery aims to integrate "dining x brewing," a rare approach even in Japan, to cultivate a high-value-added market and expand revenue opportunities in the overseas market. The full-scale launch commenced with a local ceremony held on April 26, 2026. ■ Market Challenge: "No beer that pairs well with Japanese cuisine." The background of this initiative lies in the challenge of limited beer options in the high-end Japanese cuisine market, particularly in Shanghai and other major Chinese cities. While premium sake lineups are extensive, there has been significant room for improvement in offering beers that complement the cuisine. ■ Offering Japanese cuisine and domestic craft beer as an integrated experience. To overcome this situation, this project is creating new value by "providing craft beer that pairs with Japanese cuisine locally." Rather than merely importing beer, Japanese brewing technology has been introduced locally to ensure freshness and quality, enabling the creation of beers that prioritize compatibility with the cuisine. Kamakura Beer Nomura Brewery Lineup / Kamakura Beer Brewer Naoto Sawada The brewery is equipped with medium-scale facilities (annual brewing capacity of 180 kiloliters), equivalent to those of craft breweries in Japan. Brewing and serving are conducted consistently on-site, starting with the provision of draft beer. Sales of bottled beer are planned to begin in June 2026. Brewery interior / Beer brewing process Furthermore, by offering this alongside dishes prepared by Japanese chefs, an authentic "Tokyo dining experience" can be recreated locally. This integrated approach of designing and offering Japanese cuisine and domestic craft beer is still rare even in Japan. Moving forward, leveraging the freshness and quality unique to local brewing, the project aims for full-scale expansion into the Chinese craft beer market by promoting the distribution of bottled beer and 3-liter kegs, which are popular locally. Example of beer pairing menu / Japanese cuisine x local brewing ■ A new overseas business model conveying the value of Japanese food culture. Our company also provides menu development and store operation support to Japanese restaurant groups in China, utilizing the expertise of experienced Japanese chefs. Through this, we propose the introduction of our own brewed craft beer, expanding the "dining x brewing" integrated business model. This new business model has already begun to be implemented in restaurants in Shanghai Xintiandi, where overseas guests and affluent individuals gather, attracting attention as a new overseas business model combining "Japanese cuisine and domestic craft beer." Japanese Cuisine Counter / Nomura Beer BAR Counter One of the project's characteristics is that the style of integrating cuisine and beer, which is not yet common in Japan, has been realized first overseas. Please look forward to future developments as this initiative goes beyond mere product provision to convey the value of Japanese food culture itself locally. ■ Homemade Craft Beer & Pairing Menu Examples Kamakura Beer Original "Tsuki" / Kamakura Beer Original "Hayama" / Nomura Beer "IPA 134" Nomura Beer "Tōka" / Nomura Beer "Gojun" / Nomura Beer "Suimitsutō" 【Overview of Local Craft Beer Brewery】 Store Name: Kamakura Beer Nomura Brewery Location: No. 12, Beiyuan Road, Gusu District, Suzhou City Meiluo Xiaoshe Center Business Hours: 11:00～20:00 Brewing Scale: 180 kiloliters annually Medium-scale class among domestic craft beer breweries Entrance / Brewery beer tanks 【About Meiluo Xiaoshe Center】 A commercial facility operated by Suzhou Function Group Co., Ltd., Suzhou's largest commercial group. It is a national AAA (3A) rated tourist facility that has renovated a red brick warehouse complex used in the 1950s, gathering high-quality goods and restaurants from around the world. "Nomura Sōsaku Nihon Ryōri" and "Kamakura Beer Nomura Brewery" are located within this facility. 【Restaurant Overview】 Store Name: Nomura Sōsaku Nihon Ryōri / Nomura Bettei Location: No. 12, Beiyuan Road, Gusu District, Suzhou City (Meiluo Xiaoshe Center) Business Hours: 11:00～22:00 Store Scale: 1st floor: 18 counter seats 2nd floor: 36 seats Garden private room: 8 people Bettei private room: 12 people Nomura Sōsaku Nihon Ryōri / Counter / Nomura Bettei