Some names in Japanese history arrive with a whole crowd behind them. Say “Shinsengumi” at an izakaya and someone will usually have a favorite member, a favorite drama, and a firm opinion about how it all ended. If you have lived here long enough to be pulled into that conversation, you have probably heard the name Kondo Isami. This beer is a good way to put a face to it.
A pale lager for a police commander
Meiji Restoration by Isamu Kondo Beer comes from Nippon Craft Beer’s themed line in Tokyo, part of a modern themed series sold under the Ōkuma Shigenobu name. It is a Japanese craft pale lager at 4.5% ABV. The brief gives no recipe detail, so we will not describe hops or malt we cannot verify.
The name is the story. Kondo Isami (1834-1868) was the commander of the Shinsengumi police force that defended the Tokugawa shogunate. The label spells the name in Western order, Isamu Kondo, while the brief gives the Japanese order, Kondo Isami. Expect to see both.
It is a themed expression, so the label is part of the product. In a series built around the Meiji Restoration, this bottle sits alongside the one for his vice-commander, Hijikata Toshizo, and together they cover the side of the story that fought to keep the old order in place. A pale lager suits it well: light enough to keep pouring while the conversation turns to duty and loyalty.
How Meiji Restoration by Isamu Kondo Beer is drunk at home
In Japan, a round starts with Kanpai (乾杯) (KAHN-pie), “dry the cup,” raised with eye contact. The same characters appear in Chinese gānbēi and Korean geonbae, three East Asian cultures sharing one toast.
A light pale lager like this belongs to the nomikai, the after-work drinking party that is the foundational Japanese social ritual. It goes with yakitori, the grilled chicken skewers that define the after-work table. Edamame arrives first, young soybeans with salt, the universal opener before anything else is ordered. As the night goes on, otsumami takes over: the pickled, fried and dried small bar snacks that keep the table busy between rounds. Come hanami in April, cherry-blossom parties under the trees bring sake and beer out together, and a themed bottle gives the blanket a story to pass around.
How to drink it in Japan
Serve it cold, in a glass if you like, and read the label while you pour. From the conbini, pick up a pack of salted peanuts from FamilyMart; plain salt and crunch suit a light lager and a long conversation. For a Japanese dish, try it with karaage, Japanese fried chicken, where the crisp lager cuts through the oil and keeps the plate from feeling heavy.
It works from spring through early autumn, when a cold, light lager is what you want. At a Tokyo izakaya, a bottle of craft beer can run ¥800 or more. By the case at Omori Mart, the per-bottle price comes down noticeably.
Get Meiji Restoration by Isamu Kondo Beer delivered in Japan
Meiji Restoration by Isamu Kondo Beer is available now at Omori Mart, sold by the case in 330ml bottles.
- Free shipping on orders over ¥15,000
- Pay at FamilyMart, 7-Eleven, or Lawson, plus bank transfer and card
- Delivered nationwide across Japan
Rakuten and Amazon Japan don’t carry this themed release. If you like beers with a story behind them, this is where to find one.
[Shop Meiji Restoration by Isamu Kondo Beer →]
https://omorimart.com/product/meiji-restoration-by-isamu-kondo-beer-330ml-x-24-bottles/
Kanpai (乾杯) is the word every other toast in this shop comes back to. Raise the bottle to the commander who held the line, dry the cup, and drink to the ones who stay loyal to the end.
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