The Monument Marking the Birthplace of Domestic Japanese Beer stands in Kitashinchi, Osaka’s famous entertainment district, where about 3,000 neon signs from bars, clubs, and snack bars shine brightly at night. Japan’s first brewery was built in Yokohama, but the first beer brewing and sales carried out by Japanese people took place in Osaka. In 1872, Shōzaburō Shibutani used land and storehouses at Dōjima-naka 9-banchi in Kita Ward to establish the “Shibutani Beer” brewery. With guidance from an American named Flust, and with the head clerk Kaizō Kanazawa as chief brewer, they produced beer using domestically grown barley, imported hops, and yeast obtained from a bakery serving foreigners. However, because beer had not yet become familiar to Japanese consumers, sales were poor and Shibutani Beer went out of business in 1881. Later, Osaka Beer Company (now Asahi Breweries) opened its Suita Plant in 1891. You can sample Asahi Super Dry—whose name inspired the British apparel brand “Superdry (Gokudo Kansai)”—for free on a factory tour.