Crowdfunding campaign

Hidaka Village, Kochi Prefecture: We want to foster connections between people through beer and revitalise our community!

Kōchi Prefecture’s population decline shows no sign of abating. This April, its population fell below 650,000, marking the lowest figure in recorded history. Yet many people still wish to live in Kōchi despite these adversities. We, who moved here from Scotland, are among them. We aim to foster greater “connections” within Kōchi through beer brewed at Hidaka Village’s first brewery, thereby contributing to the local community.

Note: It has recently been brought to our attention that the crowdfunding platform that we are using does not accept donations from outside of Japan, with the exception of backers from South Korea, Taiwan or Hong Kong. If you have already backed us from another overseas territory we will contact you directly once we understand what our options in this regard are.

There is an alternative route to support us available, if you are interested in doing so please contact us at hello@braveandbraw.com

Hello. I’m Sakino Kelbie, the representative of this crowdfunding project.

My Scottish husband Jon and I, prompted by a certain event in 2018, relocated with our family of four from Scotland to my hometown of Hidaka Village in 2022. And now, we are about to launch Craft Beer Brewery BRAVE & BRAW.

For us, having moved to Hidaka Village from a completely different country, culture, and industry, reaching this point has not been easy. We nearly gave up many times, but with the support of our friends, we persevered and steadily continued our preparations.

After three years of activity as members of the Hidaka Village Regional Revitalisation Cooperation Team, we are now very close to completing the brewery.

This time, to share our story with more people, we have decided to take on the challenge of crowdfunding. We sincerely look forward to the day when we can meet you all and share stories at our brewery.

Every day passes without pause, repeating yesterday’s routine. Lying down while staring at my phone, I drift off to sleep.

My husband Jon lived such days in Scotland, and without realising it, he had forgotten what he truly wanted to do.

In 2018, in this small village of 4,700 people, Jon would rediscover his former self. And we thought:

Perhaps we, living in the present, need more time to connect with ourselves, and with companions to share our dreams with.

Precisely because we live in the present, we need more ‘connections’.

There’s even a Scottish folk song about rejoicing in reunions with old friends over a pint, singing together. Every New Year’s Eve, Scots gather in a circle, join hands, and sing this song as they welcome the new year.

We at BRAVE & BRAW may not be able to increase Kochi Prefecture’s population.

But we believe that if the people gathered around our beer join hands and connect with each other, the future will surely be brighter.

We want to realise that world with beer born in Hidaka Village.

When do connections between people truly form?

When you speak to someone? When you step into a new place? When you reveal your true feelings?

I believe there are many ways to connect. But taking that first step is a very BRAVE thing to do.

Living in the digital age, we find ourselves saturated with easy “connections” – to people, places, and even ourselves. Yet I believe truly fulfilling, deep “connections” are born from intentional, special moments.

We want to celebrate those moments of truly great connection. When you clink glasses with someone, we hope the atmosphere, the conversation, the heightened emotions – everything becomes BRAW (meaning “brilliant” in Scots).

More “brave and brilliant” moments for Kochi. It’s with this sentiment that we chose the name “BRAVE & BRAW”.

Now, allow me to tell you a little about us.

Jon has always loved working in pubs. Before becoming an independent IT consultant, he worked in various pubs for a total of 17 years. He would serve beer alongside his pub mates late into the night every evening, watch rugby matches with the customers, and after closing time, they’d chat over a pint.

Jon, in truth, is rather a quiet sort of guy, but he says that in pubs, strangely he manages to connect with people. He apparently loved being in the pub with his friends, regardless of whether they were staff or customers.

”Scottish pubs are always at the heart of the community. A pub isn’t just somewhere you go to drink. They are places where you find belonging”

Jon, who still wears his old pub-era logo shirt, says this.

However, once he began earning his living in IT, his pub visits became, more or less, in the form of a customer going for a drink. It was during this time that Jon encountered craft beer.

One evening he returned home in a state of excitement, having tasted a truly remarkable beer at a craft beer festival in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital. That night, he spent an hour in the hallway, recounting his festival experiences over and over.

Encountering a brewer. Encountering a new beer. Encountering creative, free-spirited craft beer.

“I want to work in a pub again. How awesome it would be if the beer served there was one I’d brewed myself.“

Jon apparently began thinking along these lines from that time onwards.

On the other hand, I was thoroughly enjoying my work as a Japanese language instructor at the time. Yet while I wanted to grow further as a teacher, I also wanted children.

When I said, ‘I can’t give up either, so I want to start both,’ Jon didn’t object at all and took on the challenge with me. Putting his own dreams on hold.

Quite by chance, I began my master’s degree during my maternity leave. It was demanding, but I was blessed with understanding family and colleagues, fellow students and my supervisor, making it a very happy time.

During that period, we took our daughter back to Japan temporarily and visited Hidaka Village. The village where I was born and raised.

We both took a break from work and studies, sharing the joy of our daughter’s birth with family and friends in Japan, reminiscing about the past and discussing the future at length. After several such days passed, one day, walking along a country lane on an unseasonably warm day for December, Jon suddenly said:

”Let’s brew beer in this village.”

”I want to raise our daughter here. I want her to see me fulfilling my dream.”

At that moment, I instinctively thought: John would make it happen. I also suddenly remembered something else. The words of my high school teacher who told us, ‘You kids are Kochi’s treasures.’

Kochi is teeming with people who possess a burning passion. There are many concerns – population decline, low birth rates and an ageing society, the Nankai trough earthquake threat etc. but as long as these “treasures” remain here, Kochi can keep moving forward.

That’s how I now understand my teacher’s words. So, in May 2022, we relocated to Hidaka Village.

Jon spent three years gaining experience brewing at home in Scotland. Even brewing beer using tea sent from Japan.

Furthermore, to deepen his specialist knowledge, he completed studies in biochemistry and microbiology applied to brewing at Heriot-Watt University in the capital, Edinburgh. This globally renowned university is a gathering place for many brewers.

The year we moved to Hidaka Village, Mukai Craft Brewing in Niyodogawa Town, Kochi Prefecture, agreed to take Jon on as an intern for one year.

Ken from Mukai Craft Brewing is a fourth-generation Japanese-American from Los Angeles. Even before we met, back when we were in Scotland, he offered us sincere advice and support. Without the support of Ken and his wife Masako, we would never have come this far.

They are mentors, friends, and comrades in passing the torch for Kochi to the next generation.

In Hidaka Village, many members of the Regional Revitalisation Cooperation Corps consider starting businesses or settling down based on their areas of expertise or personal passions, spanning a wide range of fields.

The village also has a mentor system, the “Super Related Population Creation Mentor Scheme” (commonly known as “Supakan”), to support the activities of these corps members. Utilising this system, we repeatedly “bounced ideas around” with our colleagues on our business plan. We discussed with our peers, took them back to refine them together as a couple, and then bounced ideas around the group again. This same process, over and over, time and time again.

That’s how we crafted our very first business plan. I believe it was precisely because we had comrades working towards realising their own dreams that we could persevere without giving up.

Supported by the encouragement of these comrades, we ultimately secured preliminary approval for two bank loans and were selected for a national grant.

The friends we made in this community are looking forward to the completion of our brewery. Now, we want to support those friends with our beer and our brewery.

Thinking that beyond that, new connections with more friends await, I can’t help but feel excited.

>> The group is commonly known as ‘Supakan’. For details, see here (Japanese). Do take a look at the encouraging comments from mentors too.

The beer we brew is primarily of the “ale” variety. In fact, the term “ale” originates from Celtic culture, tracing back to Scotland and Ireland.

Within this ale category, we focus on styles born in Scotland, Jon’s homeland, using Scottish malt. We then combine this with the rich natural bounty of Hidaka Village and Kōchi Prefecture, fusing our shared roots to deliver a new beer.

＜Using local groundwater as brewing water＞

We were utterly committed to using natural water as our brewing water, which guided our search for a location. The site chosen for our brewery has long been renowned for its long-standing abundant groundwater.

Moreover, unusually for Europe and North America, Scotland actually has soft water, making it actually quite logical to brew Scottish-style beer using Japanese soft water.

＜Preserving local blessings for future generations＞

For our core products, we utilise regional ingredients from Hidaka Village and Kochi Prefecture as secondary ingredients in our beer. We are particularly excited about Tosa tea cultivated in Hidaka Village.

Tosa tea is a general term for tea made from 100% Kochi Prefecture tea leaves. However, due to factors such as declining tea consumption among the Japanese population and falling market prices, the total tea cultivation area across the prefecture has decreased to approximately 16% over the last thirty-odd years. If this trend continues, Tosa tea may become unavailable.

To ensure this Tosa tea is passed on to future generations, we wish to use Tosa tea from Kiriyama Tea Garden Co., Ltd., which boasts the largest tea plantation in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, in our beer.

Furthermore, in collaboration with Kiriyama Tea Farm, we will also endeavour to compost the spent grain discharged from the brewery. Our dream is to circulate this spent grain compost back into Tosa tea cultivation, and then use that tea once more as a secondary ingredient in our beer. In the future, we hope to share this circular method more widely, academically, through the comprehensive partnership agreement that Hidaka Village has established with a local university.

＜Our Pub, Created by Friends Gathering in Hidaka Village＞

At our brewery pub, we will serve a variety of beers featuring seasonal local produce such as tomatoes, jalapeños, pomelos, and strawberries. Enjoy small-batch, diverse beers exclusive to the pub, tailored to the season and harvest.

Our pub is not merely a place to drink beer. We aim to be a space where visitors and locals connect, a community that transcends local boundaries. We aspire to grow into a warm place where customers greet each other with ‘welcome back,’ a place where everyone feels it is their own.

＜The Past Three Years＞

Over the past three years since 2022, we have visited approximately 30 craft beer breweries, primarily in Shikoku, Kansai, and Kanto regions. Senior brewers generously shared not only their passion for beer but also insights into equipment and sourcing raw materials. Their warm encouragement for our endeavour and welcoming us into their community have been a tremendous source of motivation.

We also visited around 40 craft beer specialists bars, shops and restaurants, receiving candid opinions and advice on our product concept. Many of the establishments we encountered assisted with the paperwork required for obtaining our brewing license, demonstrating a passionate desire to further invigorate Japan’s craft beer industry.

＜Location and Design＞

The brewery site lies immediately beside National Route 33, which runs east-west through Hidaka Village. It will be constructed in the area known as Imose. Driving up the road where the brewery will be, you pass the tea fields of Kiriyama Tea Garden and a golf course. Flowing along the northern side of that mountain is the Niyodo River, renowned for having Japan’s finest water quality.

● Access by train: JR Kōchi Station → JR Kusaka Station (30–40 minutes), JR Kusaka Station → Brewery (13 minutes on foot)

● Access by car: Approximately 30 minutes from Kōchi City, approximately 40 minutes from Kōchi Ryōma Airport

The design for the brewery, which will be built from scratch, is nearly complete, and we are now entering the tendering phase (as of late September). The attached pub is scheduled to open in summer 2026, and from Spring onwards, we will work with woodworkers from Hidaka Village to complete the interior.

＜SCHEDULE＞

2025

Early October：　Launch Crowdfunder

Early November: Brewery construction commences, brewing equipment ordered

2026

Late February:　Brewery completed, brewing equipment installed

Late March:　Brewing license obtained

April: Brewing commences

From May: Crowdfunding rewards are dispatched

July: The brewpub opens

We have already invested approximately ¥8.5 million (£43k, €49k, USD$ 58k) of our own funds in various expenses such as land purchase and company establishment. However, constructing a brewery with an attached pub from scratch requires an additional ¥85 million. Of this amount, ¥26 million (£131k, €150k, USD$ 177k) in subsidies and ¥40 million (£202k, €231k, USD$ 272k) in loans (including provisional agreements) have been secured.

Funds raised through this crowdfunding campaign will be allocated towards the remaining ¥18.8 million　(£９５k, €1０９k, USD$ １２８k). 　The shortfall will be covered by personal funds and other subsidies.

● Brewery construction: approx. ¥55 million　(£278k, €318k, USD$ 374k)

● Brewing equipment: approx. ¥22 million　(£111k, €127k, USD$ 150k)

● Fixtures and fittings: approx. ¥6.5 million　(£33k, €38k, USD$ 44k)

● Working capital, etc.: approx. ¥2.3 million　(£12k, €13k, USD$ 17k)

Due to legislative restrictions we are unable to offer our beer as a reward, instead we will offer limited-edition T-shirts, brewery tours, pub drink vouchers, and privilege cards. Furthermore, all supporters’ names (company names or nicknames acceptable) will be listed on our website. For details, please see “Select Your Reward”.

We are also grateful to have received interest from overseas backers wishing to support us. For these individuals, we have prepared rewards applicable to international backers. Images for these rewards feature both the Japanese flag and a blue globe symbol.

Furthermore, an English translation of this page and an English subtitled version of the video will be published on our website.

Seven years have swiftly passed since Jon first said, ‘Let’s brew beer in this village.’

Jon and I have discussed, argued, cried and laughed together countless times.

Throughout this journey, we’ve been blessed with connections to many people, truly experiencing the importance of forming bonds.

May Kochi witness more moments that are ‘BRAVE and BRAW’.

BRAVE＆BRAW wishes to be a beacon to all who believe in the beauty of connection and possess the courage to seek it.

We eagerly await the day when we can converse and connect with you all in Hidaka Village.

ーFrom fellow brewersー

Jon completed a one-year internship with our company, demonstrating sincerity and a spirit of inquiry throughout his learning journey. The experience gained alongside Sakino will undoubtedly prove a valuable asset to their brewery and taproom. As we witnessed firsthand in Niyodogawa Town, we firmly believe this project will inject new vitality and foster community engagement in Hidaka Village. Your support is greatly appreciated.

My name is Nakamura, and I serve as the Head Brewer at SOUTH HORIZON BREWING in Kochi Prefecture.
Though our timing differed, Jon and I are fellow alumni who both studied Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, UK. It’s rare enough to encounter a fellow graduate from the same institution in this vast world, but to meet in Kochi Prefecture of all places! The thrill of that moment remains unforgettable.
Jon possesses an impressive background: homebrewing experience in Scotland, systematic knowledge cultivated at university, and practical experience at MUKAI CRAFT in Niyodogawa Town. As a fellow brewer, I am truly excited to see what wonderful beers he will create from here on.
I sincerely hope this brewery becomes a bridge connecting the cultures of Kochi and Scotland. Your warm support will be a tremendous strength to him. Thank you for your kind consideration.

Jon and Sakino have been friends for many years, and it is a great honour to witness them bringing this exciting project to fruition. Leaving their beloved Scotland behind to pursue their brewing dreams, they have put in tremendous effort to reach this stage. Their vision is now within touching distance, and I eagerly await that moment. I expect many challenges will lie ahead once brewing commences. Yet, harnessing Scottish passion and Japanese perseverance, I firmly believe they will craft exceptional beer unique to Kochi. As a fellow brewer and a friend, I wholeheartedly support them.

ーFROM KOCHI FRIENDSー

(Katsuhiro Matsuoka – Mayor of Hidaka Village)
The challenge of BRAVE & BRAW is the future of Hidaka Village!
As Mayor of Hidaka Village, I wholeheartedly support the establishment of ‘BRAVE & BRAW’ by Mr and Mrs Kelbie.
The fact that these two courageous individuals have emigrated from Scotland to take a new step in their beloved Hidaka Village is a great joy and source of hope for our community. Their vision extends beyond a mere brewery. Centred around beer crafted with Hidaka Village’s natural spring water and Tosa tea from the village’s sole tea plantation, they aim to create a community space where people connect and forge genuine bonds. Furthermore, their circular vision of returning malt spent grain to the tea fields sets a model for sustainable regional development.
This project is a challenge towards a “BRAW” (Brilliant) future, generating new vitality for Hidaka Village and promoting exchange from both within Japan and abroad.
We sincerely request your warm support as the final push to make this dream a reality.

(Kaori Ono – Representative Director of nosson Inc.)
It was in Hidaka Village that I met Jon and Sakino who were striving to brew craft beer there, and learned the wonder and richness of working together on projects with everyone. Hidaka Village is Sakino’s birthplace, and I moved to this very Hidaka Village. Now I’m one of its “overly happy villagers”. Back when I worked in Tokyo, I never had time to pause. I want to tell my past self: “If you’re too busy, find the courage to pause. Then you’ll see your true heart.” Jon & Sakino too, it’s precisely because they had time to pause that they have their current challenge. That’s why they’re creating such time for themselves in Hidaka Village. Please come to Hidaka Village, using this crowdfunding as your starting point. With a glass of Jon’s superb, authentic Scottish beer in hand, let’s talk and laugh as if we were old friends. Jon, Sakino, and the members of nosson are waiting for you in Hidaka Village.

(Hiroyoshi Chinzei – Representative Director of Hidaka Washi Co. Ltd.)
We are always deeply impressed by your passionate dedication to brewing beer and your love for this village. The establishment of a new brewery here brings us immense joy. We wholeheartedly look forward to the project’s success and the day we can savour the finest beer brewed right here!

(Kayo Nakagawa – Part-time University Lecturer)
Our first encounter was when the Kelbie family returned to Japan from Scotland and Sakino worked for a year as a Japanese language teacher at the university. At that same time, Sakino established a Japanese language classroom in Hidaka Village, building a space for learning about multicultural coexistence for the local community and students. Jon possesses a profound philosophy regarding the nature, culture, and history of both Scotland and Japan, and seeks to express these sentiments through a craft beer rooted in the local community. Sakino is bright, sociable, and utterly dependable. The beer they create together, pooling their strengths, promises to be more than just a drink – it will be a special glass that allows one to sense the underlying culture and philosophy. We wholeheartedly support this challenge, so characteristic of them both. And we look forward to the day when we can savour that delicious beer together with many others.

(Masafusa Yasaoka – Representative Director of Ele Co. Ltd.)
Sakino and Jon! The time has finally come! As the Regional Revitalisation Cooperation Team coordinator, my first overseas return-migration coordination effort was meeting you, Sakino. From the very start of your activities, your passion and drive have been truly heartening. This passion is directed both towards realising community-rooted Japanese language education – adopting a flexible approach to uncover needs without being constrained by existing frameworks – and towards the craft beer production venture, a dream shared with Jon. I feel a strong common thread in both Sakino’s activities towards realising a multicultural society and this craft beer project: a powerful will to ‘bring a fresh breeze to the region and connect people’. This craft beer, blending the rich bounty of Hidaka Village with the Kelbie couple’s international perspective, will become a new starting point for exchange, attracting people not only from within the village but also from overseas. We wholeheartedly support this challenge to build the region’s future! I’m sure I’ll be the first to try it (laughs). Cheers!

ーFROM SUPAKAN MENTORS―

(Tomohiko Hara – Head of the Curiosity Laboratory, Kasugai Seika Sales Co. Ltd. – Supakan No.2)
I first met Sakino in September 2023, as the second mentor assigned to provide accompanying support for the projects of regional revitalisation team members in Hidaka Village. I recall her falling silent with a ‘Hmm…’ when I asked her, ‘Who do you want to delight with that beer, and how?’
Just two years on. By visiting breweries across the country, gathering insights, and then channelling them into new creations, both her vision and knowledge have matured. People around her are drawn to this evolution. Witnessing it has given me courage – the realisation that anyone can embark on a challenge to fulfil their dreams, at any time. I believe what Sakino and Jon brew is their own feelings. Drinking that beer, the various emotions within you blend together, quietly fermenting and elevating into a deep flavour. When it bubbles up irresistibly, you feel compelled to clink glasses with someone. I eagerly await the day such a glass, blending stillness and movement, is born.

(Ichiro Hata – Public Relations Director, Happy PR Co. Ltd.)
I wholeheartedly support the endeavours of BRAVE＆BRAW. My involvement with the “Super-Connected Population Creation Mentor Programme” began when I assisted the regional trading company nosson in Hidaka Village, leading to the implementation of a public relations workshop. One participant was Sakino, whose consistently proactive contributions deepened the discussions and broadened the circle of engagement. Later, when I met her again with her husband Jon at a craft beer bar in Kobe, I was struck once more by their natural ability to draw people in and create a warm atmosphere. It is precisely because of their cheerful personalities and proactive approach that I am confident they can establish a new hub for community interaction in Hidaka Village. I eagerly await the launch of ‘BRAVE & BRAW’ – a venture that will not only brew beer but also connect people, bringing smiles and vitality to the region – and wish them every success.

(Kensuke Morimoto – Representative, glowledge)
My initial encounter with Sakino occurred quite by chance at a CLS Kōchi event, where we struck up a lively conversation about beer. Later, through Ms Ono, who is deeply involved in community-based activities in Hidaka Village, we reconnected. This led to an opportunity to speak with Mr & Mrs Sakino. As I came to know their character and passion, the desire to support them together grew quite naturally. Now, while helping with planning, we are also considering the parts that are still taking shape, moving forward step by step. The craft beer Jon, originally from Scotland, is earnestly creating – a fusion of Scotland and Hidaka Village – is truly rare even in Japan, and I can hardly wait for its completion. Launching such a venture from a sparsely populated village is no simple feat, but precisely because of this, it promises to be a special brewery, harnessing the region’s charm and the warmth of its people. I firmly believe that Sakino and Jon will deliver the finest beer. And personally, I’m eagerly anticipating the day I can taste that beer myself!

Link to the crowdfunding page: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/886653/view