With only four primary brewers battling it out for supremacy amongst Japanese consumers, and a micobrew scene that remains straight jacketed by anachronistic laws, Japanese marketing has to really pull out all stops to distinguish themselves on the supermarket shelf.

Kirin decided to really turn on the Hokkaido charm by featuring the winding Chitose River, in obvious reference to their brewery in Chitose City. Sapporo Beer might still have the regional cachet, but Kirin is always nipping at their heels trying to win hearts and minds.