Photo/Illutration Takachiho Gokoku Ale, the first craft beer from Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture, is unveiled during an event held at the town office on July 1. (Yusuke Hoshino)

TAKACHIHO, Miyazaki Prefecture--The land of myths and legends closely associated with Japan’s founding deity now has a craft beer to toast its distant past.

Takachiho Gokoku Ale is made with five locally harvested grains and brewed with locally sourced mountain spring water.

The offering is the brainchild of Takachiho Co-Creation Corp.

The municipality’s public corporation spent about a year to develop the original ale to promote the town in the post-pandemic era.

The beer is made with hops, malt and barley, in addition to rice, “azuki” beans, corn, sticky barley and adlay millet, also known as Job’s tears.

The water is sourced from the Tamadare no Taki waterfall, which runs through the Takachiho Gorge, one of the town’s sightseeing attractions.

The brew is produced by Miyazaki Hideji Beer Co., a craft beer brewery based in Nobeoka, also in Miyazaki Prefecture.

Its president, Tokihiko Nagano, said the beer has less hop intensity to bring the flavors of the five grains to the fore and make it pleasant to drink.

“I think it goes well with Japanese food,” he added.

The base color of the label is yellow, themed on “the sun” for Amaterasu (the Japanese sun goddess) and “light.”

It is also intended for inbound tourists, he said.

The first batch is limited to 2,500 bottles, each containing 330 milliliters of beer, for 600 yen ($4), including tax.

It is sold through the Michi no Eki Takachiho roadside rest area and the Kihachi no Kura farm stand here, as well as the public corporation’s online store.

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