10 Best Non-alcoholic Beers in Japan
Japanese non-alcohol beers you can buy online
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Japanese beer is popular, both within the country and internationally. If you are a beer enthusiast, you may have already tried all the major Japanese beer brands such as Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo. But now let me ask you; have you ever tried Japanese non-alcohol beer?
Non-alcoholic beer has been around for a long time. In Japan, imported non-alcoholic beer has been available since the early 1980s, but it didn’t become popular until after passing into the new millennium. From there, Japanese beverage companies have been launching their versions of non-alcoholic beers.
These are popular in restaurants and izakaya, especially among those who need to drive, those who are pregnant, or those who have been warned by their doctors to be careful with alcohol ingestion.
In this article, I will introduce to you 10 best non-alcoholic beers in Japan. These products can be purchased online as well if you’re interested.
*Please note that this article contains affiliate links.
1. Asahi Dry Zero
The first non-alcoholic beer on our list is Asahi Dry Zero (ドライ ゼロ). This is one of the two non-alcoholic beers from the large beverage company Asahi. If you like Asahi super dry, then this may be the choice for you since the flavor is made to be similar to it. An attractive point about this product is that not only is alcohol-free but also calorie-free.
▶︎Click here for more details about this drink right now!
2. Kirin Zero Ichi
Kirin Zero Ichi (キリン 零ICHI) is one of the first non-alcoholic beer products that came out to the market, being part of the reason why non-alcoholic beers became popular in Japan. Many beer enthusiasts have a preference for this beer due to its similarity compared to regular beer.
▶︎Click here for more details about this drink right now!
3. Kirin Perfect Free
Next, we have another popular product from Kirin. Kirin Perfect Free (パーフェクトフリー) not only is alcohol-free but it contains indigestible dextrin which helps restrain the body from absorbing fats and sugars. It is a product that helps people on a diet, hence the name “perfect free”.
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4. Asahi Dry Zero Free
Asahi Dry Zero Free (アサヒ ドライゼロフリー) is the other product from Asahi on this list. Relatively speaking, its taste is not very similar to that of regular beer, but it is tasty in its own way. The strong point of this product is that it has zero calories, zero sugar, zero purine, zero sweeteners, and of course, zero alcohol.
▶︎Click here for more details about this drink right now!
5. Suntory All Free
Suntory All Free (サントリー オールフリー) is the first of two non-alcoholic beers on this list from the company Suntory. One characteristic of this product is that it has a slightly acidic taste that is reminiscent of that of lemon/lime or cola. It might be relatively not so similar to regular beer when it comes to taste, but it is quite tasty and it contains zero sugar, zero calories, and zero purine.
▶︎Click here for more details about this drink right now!
6. Sapporo Umami Shibori
Next on the list, we have Sapporo Umami Shibori (うまみ搾り) from the beverage company Sapporo. It is a relatively sweet and sour tasted product and lacks the bitterness that represents regular beer. An interesting characteristic of this non-alcoholic beer is that it contains anserine, a substance that helps lower uric acid levels.
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7. Suntory “Karada wo Omou” All Free
If you want to choose a product based on its content rather than its similarity to regular beer, then this next product is the one for you. Suntory “Karada wo Omou” All Free (サントリー からだを想うオールフリー) is a non-alcoholic beer that is not only alcohol-free, sugar-free, calorie-free, fat-free, and purine-free, but it also contains rosehip extract which has a type of polyphenol that helps burn visceral fat.
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8. Ryoma 1865
As opposed to the previous product on this list, if you’re looking for a non-alcoholic beer that has a similar taste to that of regular beer, then Ryoma 1865 (龍馬1865) may be the one for you. This product contains malt extract, plus, it uses roasted malt which helps give the rich and bitter taste that characterizes regular beer.
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9. NINJA LAGER
NINJA LAGER (日本ビール 忍者ラガー) is the first “Halal Certified” non-alcoholic beer in Japan. This means it contains no spices, preservatives, or coloring agents. It has a sharp carbonated bubbliness and bitter-sweet taste that is somewhat similar to honey. It might lack the malty taste you get when drinking regular beer, but it is tasty and refreshing.
▶︎Click here for more details about this drink right now!
10. Otaru beer (non-alcoholic)
And last but not least, we have Otaru beer non-alcoholic (小樽ビール ノンアルコール). Otaru beer is made accordingly to German regulations. In the case of this non-alcoholic lager beer, it is prepared taking time to make the taste as close as possible to that of light lager beer. You may be pleasantly surprised at its taste because of its similarity to regular beer.
▶︎Click here for more details about this drink right now!
I hope you enjoyed this article about non-alcoholic beers in Japan. If you’d like to know more about alcoholic beverages in Japan, be sure to check out our other articles below.
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Written by
Born and raised in Costa Rica, I started living in Tokyo from college. I love traveling within Japan & around the world. Since I wasn’t born in Japan, I know the cultural impact that you can get when visiting Japan for the first time and what you might be worried about before your trip. And I’ve lived long enough to somewhat understand the nuances of the Japanese culture that make this country such an attractive place to visit. Hopefully I can provide to you both the information you’re looking for and the information you didn’t know you needed to know.
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