Archive record · Brewery
Yo-Ho Brewing
Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan
- Founded
- 1996
- Archive ID
- TB-GGBQA1CW
- Last checked
- 2026-08-05
Who owns this brewery?
Not yet mapped as a company, so the chain above it is still open.
From the record
Summary
The largest craft brewery in Japan. Their flagship Yona Yona Ale popularized the American Pale Ale style across the country.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
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
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
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
Released 1996. Current YOHO portfolio; historical production lineage remains held.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Dondabada
YEAR-ROUND / NATIONALBelgian golden ale
Official current lineup.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Boku Beer Kimi Beer Light
YEAR-ROUND / NATIONALSaison
Official current lineup.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Uchoten Aliens
YEAR-ROUND / NATIONALHazy IPA
Official current lineup.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Karuizawa Kogen Beer Wild Forest
REGIONALBlonde ale
Official regional lineup.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →On the record
Awards
- 2023
Gold — Hefe-Weizen — Ginga Kogen Beer Hefe-Weizen
International Beer Cup
- 2021
Gold — Hefe-Weizen — Ginga Kogen Beer Hefe-Weizen
Asia Beer Cup
- 2019
Gold — India Pale Ale — Aooni IPA
Japan Great Beer Awards
- 2016
Gold — Hefe-Weizen — Ginga Kogen Beer Hefe-Weizen
Asia Beer Cup
- 2015
Silver — India Pale Ale — Aooni IPA
International Beer Cup
- 2013
Bronze — Belgian White Ale — Wednesday Cat
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.
Drinking Yo-Ho Brewing? Stamp it in your passport.
Discover it here — collect it in the Passport. Track every beer, earn stamps, and build your own beer passport.
Every brewery deserves its full story told.
If you're the owner or team behind Yo-Ho Brewing, we'll build out your complete profile — history, the people, every beer — and feature you in a Tally's documentary. No cost, just your story.
No payment affects this record — editorial policy