Tokyo, August 14 :

Beer in Japan may have an uncertain future but still enjoys a rich, though brief, history.

Back in the samurai days, beer was unknown to the average Japanese — a curious concoction occasionally brewed up in foreigner enclaves by Europeans for their own refreshment.

That all changed in the late 1800s, when Japan eagerly absorbed anything foreign in

its quest to modernise. Deeming beer a symbol of Western enlightenment, the government even set up its own brewery in 1876 with the help of German brewmasters.

Today, Japan is the world’s sixth-biggest beer consumer and Asia’s Number 1 per capita. Beer looms huge as the national identity, surpassing even homegrown sake as the favorite tipple.

After-hours beer binges are a mainstay of corporate communication between salarymen, bosses and business partners. Red-faced executives, their neckties yanked open to

one side, are a fixture of late night train stations.

Beer girls with ‘backpack kegs’ rush down the aisles at baseball stadiums to refill fans’ cups. And though the official drinking age is 20, nearly anyone with enough spare change can buy a cold brew at beer vending machines. Rooftop beer gardens, with billowing clouds of barbecue smoke, are a summertime must.

Then there’s Kidsbeer, a cola-flavored, golden-colored softdrink that is served in brown, long-necked bottles. The sales pitch: “Even kids can’t stand life unless they have a drink.” Beer is so beloved that cans, bottles, even 3-litre party jugs, are left on gravestones as offerings to the dearly departed. But if you’re going to partake in Japanese beer culture, make sure to observe proper etiquette.

Never pour your own glass, and make sure to use two hands — one to cup the bottle’s bottom, the other to cradle the neck — when pouring for your seniors. When receiving, always hold one hand under your glass in pious humility.

After clinking mugs, chug away after a hearty toast of ‘kanpai,’ or literally ‘dry glass.’ Don’t be surprised if your glass is quietly refilled every time you come close to emptying it. Japanese custom dictates that friends don’t let friends go dry, and an empty glass is considered a sign that you want to keep drinking.

When it’s time to sober up, leave your glass at least half full.