Fuji to Hood: Japan/Oregon Collaboration Festival announces 2024 Beer List

For Immediate Release – International craft beer, cider, and culture festival FUJI TO HOOD is bringing Japan to Portland, OR on July 20th, and announcing the crafts, artisans, music, performances, food, and collaboration drinks that will make this an event to remember.

Ever since Sapporo and Portland established a sister-city relationship in 1959, the bonds between two seemingly disparate cultures has been strong. Fuji to Hood was founded as a biennial event in 2018 as a festival bridging Japanese and American culture inspired by Oregon’s iconic Mt. Hood and Japan’s Mt. Fuji. Each year the festival takes place in either Tokyo or Portland, with brewers and cidermakers traveling to the host country. This year 22 breweries and 3 cideries will travel from Japan to Portland. 

By forming brewer/cidermaker teams between Oregon and Japan, the festival yields fun, creative, surprising and inspiring beverages created in collaboration specifically for the festival. This year the organizers are expanding beyond malt and apple based beverages and welcoming premiere U.S. sake producer and importer SakeOne, Japanese & American owned Oregon winery Shiba Wichern Cellars, and Stone Barn Brandyworks. 

But Fuji to Hood is much more than a drinks festival, it comprises music, performances, arts & crafts, local vendors and tradesmen, incredible food, and something for everyone to experience and enjoy. 

WINE/SPIRITS/SAKE

Wine: Shiba Wichern Cellars – a small batch boutique winery that strives to make balanced and subtle wines with Oregon ingredients from co-owner/head winemaker Akiko Shiba.

Spirits: Stone Barn Brandyworks – A small scale SE Portland distillery specializing in fruit brandy and liqueurs inspired by the European tradition with a single barrel whiskey program that treats grain and oak with that same attention to provenance and quality.

Sake: SakeOne –  Forest Grove, Oregon producer of some of the highest quality craft sakés in the United States by utilizing the unmatched water from the Willamette Valley and top-notch rice grown in the renowned Sacramento Valley. 

COLLABORATION BEERS & CIDERS:

Every beer or cider at Fuji to Hood uses at least one special Japanese ingredient that can add an inspirational flourish, or a touch of mystery and unknowability to the final results. This year our makers used ingredients such as Japanese black honey, sansho peppers, green tea, seaweed, sweet potatoes, koji rice, cedar, plums, citrus, and much more.

Alesong Brewing & Blending / Himitsu : Rakko

• Farmhouse Ale aged in French Oak barrels with Wakame seaweed and Dekopon (citrus). 6.3% abv

2 Towns Ciderhouse / Son of the Smith : Twin Peaks

• A bone dry unfiltered farmhouse cider ABV: 7.3%. Made with a PNW blend of apples fermented with a wild culture from Japanese raw maple sap & honey, along with a house brett strain. Surprisingly clean, bone dry and very expressive, this cider is delightful and elegant…and did we say bone dry? It’s bone dry.

Baerlic Brewing / Fujisakura Kogen : Kito Yuzu-weizen

• A 5% abv Hefeweizen with Yuzu

Bauman’s Cider / Harvest Moon : Akabana-Ringo Cider

• A blend of northwest grown apples and hibiscus from Miyako Island in Okinawa.  It will be slightly sweet with complex tannins from the hibiscus. 6.9% ABV.

Block 15 Brewing / Black Tide : Dark Surroundings

• A porter mashed with roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes and conditioned on roasted chestnuts.  5% ABV. 

Boneyard Beer / Y. Market : Yokozuna IPA

• A clean, citrusy/floral, balanced crushable IPA with the addition of Sumo Citrus peel/ Hopped with simcoe, cascade, amarillo, and citra.  ABV: 6.5% IBU: 50 

Breakside Brewery / Totopia : Kurokuro

• Brown Ale with Kuromitsu (黒蜜), also known as Japanese black honey. ABV 4.5%

Coldfire Brewing / North Island : Ume Lager

• Japanese style lager with Koji rice and Japanese plum. ABV:  5%

Culmination Brewing / Baeren : Shiso Dark

• A Schwarzbier dark lager brewed with Shiso. 4.8% ABV.

ForeLand Beer / Rise & Win : Pacific Gift

• An Export lager with Konbu seaweed and sea salt. 5.6% abv. 

Fort George Brewery / Minoh : Nikiri Rice Lager

• Made with Mirin, a sweet and syrupy Japanese rice wine that’s a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine. 5.6% abv.

Gigantic Brewing / Ise Kadoya : Matcha Porter

• Porter brewed with Mizuba matcha green tea to create a beer with the flavors of a Green Tea Kit Kat. 5.1%

Great Notion Brewing / West Coast Brewing : Yuzuyu

• A Strawberry Peach Yuzu Shake (tart ale) 7% ABV

Hair of the Dog Brewing / Shonan Beer : Ura

• A barrel aged strong ale  made with 12% abv Bourbon-Barrel-Aged Fred from Hair of the Dog with yuzu kosho pepper.

Heater Allen Brewing / Setouchi : Pirika Weizenbier

• Hefeweizen with sansho pepper and kuromoji wood has a blend of aromas coming from spicebush-wood kuromoji of gentle linalool and geraniol, with tangy citrus-like peppercorn punch of sansho that blends with fresh yeasty banana and clove.  5.1% abv 

Level Beer / Fukuoka Craft : Kodaru Otaku

• English-style Ale infused with “Biwa-cha” loquat leaf tea and cask conditioned with “Kokuto” black sugar. ABV: 4.5% 

Little Beast Brewing / Ushitora : Peak to Peak

• Biere de Garde, but instead of specialty malts for color it uses Job’s Tears (Hatomugicha) for the color and flavor addition. This gives the beer a toasted and nutty flavor, with a clean lager-like ale character.

Living Haus Beer / Uchu : Baba

• West coast IPA with Coleman Citra and Japanese Shikuwasa lime juice. 6.8% abv. 

Migration Brewing / RePuBrew : Onigiri

• Umeboshi Sea Salt Saison is light, crisp with pilsner malt and wheat, spicy clove phenols from saison yeast, bright acidity from tart and salty umeboshi plum complimented by Japanese sea salt from Shizuoka prefecture.  6% ABV

Ruse Brewing / Beer Brain : Energy Garden

• Amazake Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie Tart Ale. 4.5% ABV.

Son of Man / OK, Adam : Akita

• Cider aged on Akita cedar, moscato grape skins and Oregon yuzu.  ABV 6.5%

SteepleJack Brewing / Heiwa Craft : Hinotori Sun

• Tropical summer lager brewed with Japanese red rice. ABV: 5.9%

StormBreaker Brewing / Spring Valley

• Cozy Koji Japanese Lager with Koji mash during both the mash out and whirlpool stages. A refreshing lager boasting a lively zing, complemented by the subtle warmth reminiscent of silky sake. 5.5%

Threshold Brewing / Yokosuka : Tide Rider

• Ginger lemon pastry sour, 6% ABV

Von Ebert Brewing / Far Yeast : Test of Courage

• Brewed with the bold zest of iyokan and the electrifying spice of sansho, this mixed culture saison beckons you to venture into uncharted territory.  With each sip, embrace the thrill of discovering new sensations and the courage to embrace the unknown. Around 5.5-6% ABV

FOOD & SNACKS:

Lardo Sandwiches – Famed Portland sandwich shop that worships at the altar of bovine will be presenting a special Japanese inspired menu for the fest.

Miyamoto Sushi – Popular southeast Portland sushi restaurant known for their craft beer connection to beer bar Roscoe’s, and delicious fresh sushi and wide selection of rolls and bowls. 

Ramen Ippo – Portland food truck dedicated to bringing you exquisite authentic Japanese-style ramen noodles of both traditional and modern recipes.

Oyatsupan Bakers – Traditional Japanese bakery in Beaverton serving breads, pastries & curry doughnuts.

Soen – Cafe known for Japanese comfort food and sweets, specializing in shaved ice called Kakigori, also serving small plates of onigiri, and inari.

Mikiko Mochi Donuts – Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free butter mochi donuts made fresh daily.

Fulamingo – Japanese packaged snacks and cakes.

Imo Madoi 芋円居 – All-natural, handmade Japanese snacks

PERFORMANCES:

Obukan Kendo Club – The Obukan Kendo Club is an outgrowth of the Obukan Judo Dojo. Following the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, Dr. Jigoro Kano, judo’s founder, visited Oregon while touring the United States and insisted that the Portland club call itself “Obukan” (央武館). The “O” (央) refers to Oregon; Oregon was called “O-shu” or O-state by Japanese immigrants. The “Bu” (武) means martial training. And the “Kan” (館) means building or training hall. 

Team Japonesque – Portland-based dance group established in October of 2017 introduces Japanese culture through a mixture of traditional and modern dance movement, music, and costumes – such as Japanese kimono dress. “Japonesque” means the images of Japan. 

RuShFunk  (DJ Reiko & DJ Sora) – Renowned Japan based turntablist DJ Reiko spins from an extensive collection of vinyl records. She weaves hip hop samples, soulful melodies, and drum breaks to create something groovy, upbeat, and funky.

RuShfunk is the turntable unit consisting of DJ REIKO and her daughter SORA.

Influenced by REIKO, who started DJing in 1995, SORA started practicing scratching and beat juggling in 2018. They won 3rd place in the 2020 IDA World Online show category, which was their first time as a parent and child. 3rd place in the DMC World Online team category in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, SORA participated in the DMC JAPAN FINAL and took 3rd place in her first battle. Based on Soul and Funk, their motto is to let you enjoy the sounds we create through turntables. Check out their youtube page here.

Takohachi – Japanese Taiko drum group with a repertoire including songs in the modern Kumi Daiko style, popular amongst Taiko troupes in the US, as well as many songs in the traditional Dentou Geinou style of ancient Japan. 

CRAFTS/VENDORS:

The Retro Japanese Auto Club – a new group that loves the Japanese motoring culture and wants to share it with everyone. They believe that these old vehicles should be maintained and driven instead of scrapped and forgotten.

Seisuke Knife – dedicated to sourcing authentic, handcrafted Japanese kitchen knives. More than just a tool to cut food, we believe a kitchen knife is a piece of art into which a craftsman forges their heart and soul.

Cataround Stamps – hand carved stamps inspired by traditional Japanese new year’s greeting post cards called Nengajo (年賀状) and featuring your favorite furry friends!

East Winds Co. – Unique and well-designed quality handmade gifts, like earrings, bags, keychains, and crafts for everyday use.

Traditions by Takako – kimono rental, demonstrations, classes, dressing services, and photo shoots for Shichi-Go-San and Coming of Age ceremonies. 

Stumptown Otaku – SW Portland shop has an ever-expanding collections of Geeky and Nerdy goods. For all your anime figurines and collectables needs.

Korokoro Workshop – sustainable handmade gifts for parent and child.

Toyama Prefecture – Toyama (富山県, Toyama-ken) is a prefecture along the Sea of Japan coast in the the Chubu Region. Their Hida Mountains are known for hot springs and ski areas, and the 90km-long Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is famed for sightseeing trips.

JASO (Japanese-American Society of Oregon) – a private, nonprofit membership organization promoting business, education & culture between Japan & Oregon.

PROJECT VINYL:

New to the 2024 Fuji to Hood event are music collaborations. Tokyo-based music producer, DJ and record label owner Chikaramanga curated a selection of 1970s and 1980s Japanese records and sent them to Oregon for local beat makers to sample and use. The tracks they created form the Japanese source material will be available for free downloads via a QR code on the official festival beer “Project Vinyl”, a rice lager from Level Beer that will be for sale in cans to-go only at the festival. In addition, Chikaramanga crafted an hour-long mix of Japanese “City Pop” tunes which will also be available on the Project Vinyl download.

ABOUT FUJI TO HOOD:

Fuji to Hood was founded and first held in Portland in 2018 by Red Gillen, Ezra Johnson-Greenough, Michael Walcott, and Tomas Sluiter. In 2019, Nobuhiro Tajima founded and organized the first “Hood to Fuji” sister event in Japan, where it was held again in 2023 after a pandemic pause. Tajima-san is the editor of Transporter Beer Magazine, a craft beer publication published in Japan and South Korea. He also consults for the craft beer industry in Japan, creates recipes, and has been instrumental in starting up breweries such as Black Tide Brewing and Fukuoka Craft. Each year the Oregon and Japan organizers collaborate to select, pair, and facilitate the brewery and cidery teams’ collaborations while welcoming the visiting country and upping the ante on local hospitality. 

For more info follow us on the web at https://fujitohood.com

Instagram: @fuji2hood https://www.instagram.com/fuji2hood/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fujitohood

For media inquiries: fujitohood@gmail.com

The Fuji to Hood 2024 Festival is possible thanks to our sponsors:

Travel Portland

Travel Portland is the official destination marketing and management organization for the city of Portland, Oregon. Its mission is to generate travel demand that drives economic impact for Portland. For more information on Travel Portland, visit TravelPortland.com.

SakéOne

In 1997, SakéOne began producing some of the highest quality craft sakés in the United States by utilizing the unmatched water from the Willamette Valley and top-notch rice grown in the renowned Sacramento Valley. SakéOne’s brewery and tasting room are located in Forest Grove, Oregon. Today, under the masterful lead of Toji Takumi Kuwabara, SakéOne continues to be the leader in brewing craft saké in the US and is committed to broadening the enjoyment of premium saké worldwide. For more information, visit sakeone.com.

WUSATA

The Western United States Agricultural Trade Association is a USDA-backed nonprofit dedicated to enhancing international growth for Western agribusinesses. WUSATA provides exporter education and an international marketing reimbursement program while working closely with member states and territories to provide buyer connection opportunities in key markets. With WUSATA, small U.S. food & agribusinesses can double their international marketing budget, explore new markets at discounted rates, meet new buyers, and access a range of market intelligence resources. Learn more at WUSATA.ORG.

Oregon Hop Commission

The Oregon Hop Commission is dedicated to enhancing the Oregon hop industry by expanding opportunities for growth through research, education, and promotion. The Commission sets industry priority policies and makes decisions about commodity-specific marketing. For more information, visit www.oregonhops.org.