Japanese beer makers use interactive experiences to capture the interest of the young generation

Japan’s top breweries are opening facilities with eye-catching interactive experiences in a bid to pique the interest of young people shying away from the drink.

Among brewers looking to attract new customers through this approach is Asahi Breweries Ltd., which opened a concept store with its flagship Super Dry beer in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district on Thursday. The store features the ‘Super Dry Go Ride’, where images are projected onto a huge 4K screen, along with sounds, vibrations and wind, giving visitors the feeling of riding on a beer can and going through the production process.

Visitors can also draw characters and images in beer foam with a machine and even tap their own draft beer in the shop, which is open until the end of September.

“The recovery towards beer has accelerated since the revision of alcohol taxes [last year],” an Asahi Breweries official said during a preview tour of the store on Wednesday. “We hope all kinds of people, not just beer lovers, will enjoy visiting this store.”

As with other beer producers, Kirin Brewery Co. on May 30 to open its renovated Spring Valley Brewery Tokyo, a craft beer facility in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. The facility has its own brewery and Kirin plans to host events with music and art. creating a space where visitors can drink beer comfortably.

On April 3, Sapporo Breweries Ltd opened. a branch in the Yebisu Garden Place commercial complex in Shibuya district. More than 35,000 people have already visited the facility, which features vintage Sapporo posters and bottles, as well as an exhibition looking back at the brand’s history.

Suntory Holdings Ltd. has been allowing visitors to tap their own freshly brewed Premium Malts beer at its brewery in Fuchu, Tokyo, since April.

“Alcohol is gradually becoming something that young people don’t have a great affinity with,” says Naoko Kuga, senior researcher at the NLI Research Institute. “It is crucial that beer companies get people interested in their products through social media and experiences such as tastings and hands-on attractions.”