Sapporo is the oldest brand of beer in Japan, founded in 1876. The legend of our beer began with the adventurous spirit of Seibei Nakagawa, Japan's first German-trained brewmaster. Fueled by an adventurous spirit, Seibei Nakagawa left Japan at the age of 17 at a time when doing so was strictly forbidden. His travels eventually led him to Germany where he learned the craft of brewing, a craft he would apply back home in 1876 as Sapporo’s first brewmaster.