During the early Meiji Period, wild hops were discovered on Hokkaido by pioneers who had been sent to the island in an effort to develop the beer industry. It was decided that beer would be brewed in Sapporo.

Seibei Nakagawa who had recenly returned from Germany having earned a Beer Brewery Engineering License was chosen to oversee the construction of a beer factory in August 1875. One year later, on September 23, 1876 the first authentic Bavarian-style beer factory, Kaitakushi Brewery was opened in Japan.

The beer Sapporo Lager Beer was born under Pioneers symbol, the North Star.