From Teachers to Brewers: The Road to a Second Life in Kyoto
From left to right: Ben, Paul and Chris.
The story of Kyoto Brewing Co. begins with the JET Programme, which brought Paul, Ben, and fellow co-founder Chris Hainge to Japan. The three of them became friends during their time in JET. While Paul and Ben built their careers in Tokyo, Chris settled in Kyoto. The idea for the brewery came from Chris, a keen home brewer who wanted to turn his hobby into a profession. The timing was perfect. Paul, who was taking an MBA in Tokyo, recalls, “I was learning how to start up a company while Chris realized he didn’t want to work for anyone, and so we said, ‘Let’s start a company together.'”
※In Japan, the Liquor Tax Act prohibits the home brewing of beverages with an alcohol content of 1% or higher, and a license is required for brewing.
Their choice of location was deliberate. For Ben, it started with a university exchange program 22 years ago. “My first visit to Japan was actually as a student when I came to Kyoto for a few weeks,” he says. Paul, who had grown tired of Tokyo’s crowded trains and feeling “like a number,” fondly remembered falling in love with Kyoto’s history and atmosphere on a trip 10 years prior after having completed a working holiday visa in which he bussed tables all summer. “Kyoto just appealed a lot as a place to start up a business, and a place to live,” he explains.
A Surprising Welcome: Kyoto’s Reality
Moving to a new city always comes with anticipation. “You hear from people that doing business in Kyoto can be challenging,” Ben says, referencing the city’s reputation for being “sort of exclusive.” They found that some practical aspects, like finding a real estate agent willing to work with them, took more time than in Tokyo. However, their actual experience with the community was overwhelmingly positive.
When they found their current location, they made a point to connect with their new neighbors. “The only time that they got really serious was when they asked, ‘Why Kyoto?'” Ben recalls. “People care a lot about not having the city be taken advantage of. As long as you’re coming in with the right intentions, it’s a lot more welcoming than people believe.” In fact, he notes, they were “really amazed by how many locals just took to it immediately.”
Craft Culture and the Community
At the heart of their business is a dedication to craftsmanship that resonates deeply in Kyoto. “Craft beer is in many ways a good fit for Kyoto,” Ben reflects. “It’s small scale, but it’s done in a very considered and a very intentional way, a way that traditional craftsmen operated.” He sees parallels between their work and that of traditional artisans, noting the “lot of repetition” and intense focus required “to get your process right.”
This philosophy is evident in their beer. It’s also part of their mission to elevate beer’s place in Kyoto’s food culture. “You go into the really great restaurants,” Ben says, “and they’ve got an expensive selection of wine, expensive sake… and yet they have one beer on, and it’s one of the big mass producers. We hope to change that.”
Their thoughtful approach extends to their branding and their decision to focus on the local community from the very beginning. From the start, they treated their brewery like any other local business, rather than one run by foreigners. “Craft beer companies put English titles on their beers, despite a lot of the customers not actually knowing exactly what it means,” Paul explains. “We knew from the onset that we wanted our products to be understood by Japanese people and so not only the name but we also provide descriptions for all our products right on the label so people know specifically what they’re buying.” This commitment to accessibility and local integration is a core part of their identity and a big contributor to their success.
Their community-focused mindset also extends beyond the final product. The spent grain from brewing, a major byproduct, is given to farmers for animal feed and fertilizer. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they even donated spent grain to the Kyoto City Zoo after hearing it was facing supply challenges.
Life in the Ancient Capital of Kyoto
For both Paul and Ben, raising families in Kyoto has been a rewarding experience, especially in how it has allowed them to connect with the local community. “The children are breaking down the barriers better than we are,” Paul laughs. “They speak with the Kansai dialect, they don’t look Japanese at all, but they act very Japanese, and so it’s quite disarming for other kids’ parents to see.”
One of the main advantages of living in Kyoto is the easy access to outdoor activities. “In Tokyo, whenever you wanted to go to the mountains, it took like 90 minutes,” Paul says. “Here, it’s just right there.” Ben, who lives near the start of the Kyoto Trail, enjoys hiking in the mountains, while Paul appreciates the simple pleasure of cycling everywhere. “The kids just think that’s the way it is,” he laughs.
Advice for Newcomers to Kyoto
For anyone considering a move to Kyoto, both founders stress the importance of language. “Not speaking Japanese is going to be crippling,” Paul says plainly. “If you are okay to stay in the expat bubble, you don’t have to learn Japanese. But if you truly want to experience how everyone else lives, you’ve got to learn.”
One thing both Paul and Ben emphasize is that not learning the language is doing yourself a disservice. Luckily, they point out that learning Japanese in Kyoto is really accessible. Paul notes, “There are so many universities, and a lot of Japanese language schools are here—way more than in Tokyo or Osaka. I know three language schools within a kilometer of my house. It’s crazy.”
They also emphasize the importance of Japanese for job seekers seeking a regular role outside of teaching and tourism. “You do need to speak Japanese to be able to have a reasonable range of jobs. Even if you work as a tourist guide, a lot of that is building connections with businesses, which is going to be hard to do if you don’t speak the language,” Ben advises. “A lot of people commit to an intense Japanese course before they really try to get into the workplace, which can be an excellent initial step.”
Beyond the Famous Sights
Their final piece of advice is that newcomers should look beyond the surface to truly appreciate the city. “The nice thing for me about living in Kyoto is what’s outside of the well travelled tourist areas,” Paul says. “Unlike Tokyo, which is essentially a modern concrete jungle, Kyoto is more of a hybrid setup. It’s true that there is a lot of traditional stuff here, but the new stuff that does exist is integrated very well together.”
“There are so many places that if they were in any other city, they would be a main central site,” Ben explains. “But because there are so many more famous places here in Kyoto, these often get overlooked. You find these smaller temples or gardens tucked away down a side street that are just serene and amazing to visit. Every year here, there are at least four or five new places that I didn’t know about before that I go to, and I just think it’s incredible.”
This constant sense of discovery is what truly makes living in Kyoto special. Their story proves that with passion and perseverance, you can brew a fulfilling life in Japan’s ancient capital.
