Gifu Festival Celebrates Japanese Craft Beer Culture, Brings Together Breweries from Across Japan

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:33 JST, October 22, 2025

GIFU — Breweries from across the country gathered for the Gifu Beer Festival 2025, which was held in Gifu on Oct. 4 and 5.

The event, which opened in front of JR Gifu Station on Oct. 4, featured a total of 18 breweries from within Gifu Prefecture and other areas, including Shizuoka and Nara prefectures. The festival, which began in 2015, is part of efforts by the breweries to boost the craft beer industry.

“It’s fun to enjoy local beers and to try others from places further away,” a visitor, 33, from Nagoya said.

“We hope visitors will discover many breweries, taste their beers firsthand and become fans,” said Masayoshi Shibata, 52, a festival committee representative.