ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

I have only recently developed an interest in
Karlheinz Stockhausen. He was a German
avant-garde composer who has been described
by reviewers as "groundbreaking." His music
fascinates me, whereas it might repel many others.
Two of his works are "Klavierstucke" and "
Kreuzspiel." An interesting side note: he influenced
The Beatles, notably on the track "Revolution 9. "  

Japanese people really enjoy beer and it is available all over the country – almost anywhere you look you can find a beer. Currently, Japan ranks as 41st in the world for beer consumption with the Czech Republic as the number one country for overall beer consumption (the USA is ranked 20th). Beer is so prevalent in Japan that it is even more popular than Japanese sake!

Beer was first introduced to Japan in the 17th century by Dutch traders during the Edo Period – likely in the Kyushu region near Nagasaki. It was not widely available at first, but once trade opened between Japan and foreign traders in the 19th century the general populace here took to the taste quickly.

The first brewery in Japan was in Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1869, followed by the Sapporo Brewery in 1876. Asahi Breweries began as the Osaka Beer Company in 1889 before becoming the Asahi brand in 1892.
The majority of the market share of beer in Japan is taken up by four major breweries: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory. Asahi is the bestselling brand with Kirin just behind in sales (Suntory and Sapporo rank third and fourth). Along with the major breweries, craft beer and microbreweries have become popular in recent years, but overall domestic production of craft beer is still low compared to the major producers.

Beer is sold most anywhere from restaurants, bars, convenience stores, kiosks, vending machines, etc. There are even summertime beer gardens on building rooftops to enjoy the beverage. Beer can be consumed almost anywhere in the country from trains to parks and on the street. It is mostly sold in can form for the purpose of disposal in special trash receptacles for cans located all over Japan; also, it is safer than glass which can break and cause injury to people in public. The legal drinking age for alcohol in Japan is 20.

So, if you are thirsty on a hot, humid summer day in Japan, you can just step outside your front door and find a nice, cold beer within a short distance to quench your thirst!