History Talk
February 27 @ 7:00 pm
Thoresen, Copeland, and Japan’s First Brewery
トーレセン、コープランド、そして 日本初のビール醸造所
Thursday, Feb. 27, 7:00 PM
Speakers: Jan Einar Stromsodd and Glenn Scoggins
Yokohama was the entry point for innumerable Western influences on Meiji Japan, but few have penetrated daily life as indelibly as beer. Who was the first brewer in Japan, and how did he introduce beer to Yokohama? Born in Norway as Johan Martinius Thoresen, he reinvented himself in the United States as William Copeland before setting off for Japan in 1864. His small establishment lasted barely a decade but eventually grew into today’s mammoth Kirin Brewery. This YHS talk will focus on the life and accomplishments of a complex individual, drawing on sources in Norwegian, Japanese, and English.
The talk will be in English and will be followed by a Q & A session. To attend, please complete the form below.
Admission to the talk, organized by the Yokohama History Society, is free.