Hakusekikan Pale Ale
Stone Iwamoto Co., Ltd / Hakusekikan Beer Restaurant BACCHUS

Label, aside from the name, is all in Japanese characters, though it pictorally depicts Egyptians, pursuing the brewing art.
Bright ruby-red color, beneath a thick, bubbly, off-white head.
Aroma is rather spare, soft, fresh, but suggestive of nothing at all. Some fruit and hops kick in later on, that were not apparent at first sniff.
On first taste, I notice: small hops, but big fruit. There's almost no hop bitterness here, all is smooth, well-rounded and resounding with fruity flavor. Warm, sweet, delicious, and malty. Hops peek in from time to time, but are never a major component. Very short and sweet finish.
A bright, bountiful ale. Light in body and texture, but that sweet fruity flavor manage to make up for other detriments. Overall, a nice, tasy ale. Big-time domo arigoto to UncleJimbo for sharing.

330 mL brown bottle, capped, freshness date on label (03.9.10). Purchased at Isetan Dept. Store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, for 390 yen per bottle.

This pale ale poured a clear, amber-brown color with creamy, off-white foam that did not leave any lace. The smell was malty with some grapefruit and floral hops, but the smell was strongest immediately after the first pour. The taste was a nice balance of slightly sweet malt and floral and bitter hops. The mouthfeel was smooth with a dry finish and a hoppy aftertaste. The body was medium, and the carbonation was moderate. This was a good, easy to drink pale ale.