Yo-Ho Brewing
Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan · Est. 1996
Tally's Take
Why this matters
Japan's largest craft brewery, and Yona Yona is the beer that taught the country what a pale ale was. Scale here was the mission, not a compromise.
The Beer Library
Beers
Yona Yona Ale
Year-RoundAmerican Pale Ale
The beer that taught Japan what an American pale ale was. Yo-Ho nearly went under in its early years and survived by selling online when nobody else would stock craft beer — it is now the country's largest craft brewery.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Aooni IPA
YEAR-ROUND / NATIONALIndia pale ale
Japan Pass 1. Official product page gives 7.0% ABV and 60 IBU.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Wednesday Cat
YEAR-ROUND / NATIONALBelgian white ale; Japanese tax class happoshu
Japan Pass 1. Beer-style archive row retained with the producer's Japanese legal classification noted.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Ginga Kogen Beer Hefe-Weizen
YEAR-ROUND / NATIONALHefeweizen
Japan Pass 1. Released 1996. Current YOHO portfolio; historical production lineage remains held.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Dondabada
YEAR-ROUND / NATIONALBelgian golden ale
Japan Pass 1. Official current lineup.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Boku Beer Kimi Beer Light
YEAR-ROUND / NATIONALSaison
Japan Pass 1. Official current lineup.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Uchoten Aliens
YEAR-ROUND / NATIONALHazy IPA
Japan Pass 1. Official current lineup.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Karuizawa Kogen Beer Wild Forest
REGIONALBlonde ale
Japan Pass 1. Official regional lineup.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →On the record
Awards
- 2023
Gold — Hefe-Weizen
International Beer Cup
- 2021
Gold — Hefe-Weizen
Asia Beer Cup
- 2019
Gold — India Pale Ale
Japan Great Beer Awards
- 2016
Gold — Hefe-Weizen
Asia Beer Cup
- 2015
Silver — India Pale Ale
International Beer Cup
- 2013
Bronze — Belgian White Ale
International Beer Competition
Only awards we could attribute to a named body and year appear here. An empty section means unresearched, not unawarded.
Straight answers
Common questions about Yo-Ho Brewing
- Who owns Yo-Ho Brewing?
- Yo-Ho Brewing is recorded as owned by Hoshino Resorts (Kirin minority stake), which does not yet have a full company profile in this archive.
- When was Yo-Ho Brewing founded?
- Yo-Ho Brewing was founded in 1996 in Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan.
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