is a Japanese beer and beverage
holding company
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the Security (finance), securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own Share ...
. It is known for brands such as Kirin Beer, Kirin Lemon, Mets, and Gogo no Kōcha.
The predecessor of the company, the Japan Brewery Company, was founded in
Yokohama
is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
in 1885 by William Henry Talbot and Edgar Abbott. In 1888, they launched Kirin Beer. In 1907, the business of JBC was inherited, and Kirin Brewery Company was established. In 2007, it became Kirin Holdings Company, a holding company, with Kirin Beer Company, Kirin Beverage Company, and
Mercian Corporation
is a Tokyo-based operating unit of Kirin Company, Limited, Kirin, primarily engaged in the production and retail of wine and other alcoholic beverages.
Chateau Mercian, produced and sold in Japan, is one of the most widely available brands of Ja ...
as its main subsidiaries. As a result, the brewery division was taken over by the second incarnation of Kirin Brewery.
Etymology of name
In Japanese, "Kirin" can refer to giraffes, or to
Qilin
The qilin ( ; ) is a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or death of a sage or illustrious ruler. Qilin are a specific type of the mythological family of o ...
(), the mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creatures in
East Asian culture
East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan ...
. Kirin Brewery is named after the latter.
History
The Japan Brewery Company, Limited, the forerunner of Kirin Brewery, was established in 1885, taking over the assets of the Spring Valley Brewery, first founded in
Yokohama
is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
in 1869 by Norwegian-American brewer,
William Copeland. In a deal brokered by
Thomas Blake Glover, Japan Brewery was incorporated in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
in the name of W. H. Talbot and E. H. Abbott with financial backing provided by a group of Japanese investors including
Iwasaki Yanosuke, then-president of Mitsubishi.
Japan Brewery first began marketing Kirin Beer in 1888. The Kirin Brewery Company was established as a separate legal entity in February 1907, purchasing the assets of the Japan Brewery and expanding the business in an era of growing consumer demand. Kirin Brewery built on the traditions of Japan Brewery retaining the use of
malted grains and
hops
Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant ''Humulus lupulus'', a member of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants. They are used primarily as a bittering, flavouring, and stability agent in beer, to whic ...
imported from Germany and employing German brewers to oversee production. An exclusive partnership with
Meidi-ya proved highly successful in the marketing of Kirin's beers both in Japan and under the Japan Brewery and Water Bureau and
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Corporate overview
Kirin Brewery sells two of the most popular beers in Japan:
Kirin Lager, one of the country's oldest beer brands, brewed since 1888; and
Ichiban Shibori. Within the
happoshu (low-malt) category, Kirin Tanrei is the top seller. Kirin handles domestic distribution for several foreign brands, including
Budweiser
Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, a brand of Belgian company AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States. Budweiser is a filte ...
and
Heineken
Heineken Lager Beer (), or simply Heineken (), is a Dutch pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star.
History
On 15 February 1864, ...
.
Kirin's brewery operations also extend overseas, through strategic alliances, subsidiaries, and affiliates, to China, Taiwan, Australia, the Philippines, Europe, New Zealand and the United States. The company holds a 100% stake in
Lion Nathan Limited, a consolidated subsidiary that is based in Australia but has particularly important operations in China. Kirin has a 48% stake in
San Miguel Brewery, the dominant brewer in the Philippines. Kirin now applies its
fermentation
Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are catabolized and reduce ...
technology to areas such as
plant genetics,
pharmaceutical
Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...
s, and
bioengineering
Biological engineering or
bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number ...
. Although brewing and related businesses remain the core of Kirin's activities, the company is also involved in several other sectors: hard
liquor
Liquor ( , sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through ethanol fermentation, alcoholic ferm ...
,
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
,
soft drink
A soft drink (see #Terminology, § Terminology for other names) is a class of non-alcoholic drink, usually (but not necessarily) Carbonated water, carbonated, and typically including added Sweetness, sweetener. Flavors used to be Natural flav ...
s, and
food
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...
products.
In December 2006, the
Kirin Brewery Company of Japan purchased a 25% stake in
Hangzhou Qiandaohu Beer Co., Ltd. for US$38 million.
On 14 July 2009, Kirin announced that it was in negotiations with
Suntory
(commonly referred to as simply Suntory) is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and ...
on a merger. On 8 February 2010, it was announced that negotiations between the two had been terminated.
In early 2010 Kirin's Agribio business was sold to Dutch
H2 Equity Partners; now it's part of
Dümmen Orange.
In 2010, 23.4 percent of Kirin's sales were made overseas, the highest overseas revenue among all Japanese breweries.
In October 2011, the court decided that Kirin could buy a majority stake in family-run Brazilian beer
Schincariol. Kirin bought a 50.45 percent stake in 2011, valued at $2.6 billion. In November 2011, Kirin Holdings Company agreed to buy out the remaining shareholders in Brazilian beermaker Schincariol Participacoes e Representacoes, completing its biggest acquisition as it sees growth in emerging markets ($1.35 billion was paid for the 49.54 percent stake, giving it control of all outstanding shares). In November 2012, Kirin changed Schincariol's name to
Brasil Kirin.
In 2013 Kirin joined leading alcohol producers as part of
a producers' commitments to reducing harmful drinking.
In February 2013,
Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi
Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi (; zh, c=, p=Sū Xùmíng, s=苏旭明, t=蘇旭明; : ; ; born 2 May 1944) is a Thai business magnate and investor.
He is the founder of ThaiBev, Thai Beverage, and the chairman of conglomerates TCC Group (Thailand) ...
bought the 15% stake of Singapore's
Fraser & Neave (F&N), a property-to-drinks conglomerate, from Kirin for US$1.6 billion.
In July 2014, Kirin announced its intention to revive the Spring Valley Brewery brand as a wholly owned subsidiary company to focus on producing and retailing microbrewery style beers produced using traditional ingredients and brewing methods.
On 20 January 2017,
Heineken NV and Kirin Holdings confirmed they were in negotiations for Heineken to acquire Brasil Kirin.
On 5 February 2018, Kirin Holdings announced the acquisition of 95% outstanding shares in Kyowa Hakko Bio Co. Ltd, from
Kyowa Hakko Kirin to expand to wellness and bio-chemical products.
On 6 August 2019, Kirin Holdings announced it would take a 33% stake in cosmetics and dietary supplements company
Fancl Corp for US$1.21 billion.
On 30 June 2022, Kirin Holdings announced to sell its 51% stake in Myanmar Brewery Limited, its Myanmar joint venture to its military-linked local partner.
Holdings in Japan
Alcoholic beverage business
*Kirin Distillery Company, Limited (Renamed from Kirin-Seagram Ltd. on 1 July 2002)
*Ei Sho Gen Company, Limited
*Kirin Communications Stage Company, Limited
Soft drink business
*Kirin Beverage Company, Limited
*Kinki Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Limited
**
Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast
Logistics
*Kirin Logistics Company, Limited
Engineering
*Kirin Techno-System Company, Limited
*Kirin Engineering Company, Limited
Restaurants
*Kirin Dining Company, Limited
*Kirin City Company, Limited
Real estate
*Kirin Building Management Company., Limited
*Kirin Hotel Development Company, Limited
Other core businesses
*Kirin Echo Company, Limited
Nutrient food
*Kirin Well-Foods Company, Limited
*Takeda-Kirin Foods Corporation
*Cosmo Foods Company, Limited
Agribio
*Kirin Green & Flower Company, Limited
*Flower Gate, Inc.
*Flower Season Company, Limited
*Verdy Company, Limited
*Tokita Seed Company, Limited
*Japan Potato Corporation
Food
*Nagano Tomato Company, Limited
Healthcare
*
FANCL Corporation
*
Kyowa Kirin Company, Limited
*Kyowa Hakko Bio
Holdings outside Japan
Alcohol business
*
Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn Brewery is a brewery in Brooklyn, New York, United States. It was started in 1988 by Steve Hindy and Tom Potter.
History
Hindy learned to brew beer during a six-year stay in various Middle Eastern nations such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwai ...
(United States) (24.5%)
*
Four Roses Distillery (United States)
*Kirin Brewery of America LLC (United States)
*Kirin Europe GmbH (Germany)
*
Lion Nathan Limited (Australia/New Zealand)
*Mandalay Brewery Limited (Myanmar)
*Myanmar Brewery Limited (Myanmar)
*
New Belgium Brewing Company (United States)
*
Bell's Brewing Company
*
San Miguel Brewery (Philippines) (48.3%)
*Taiwan Kirin Company, Limited (Taiwan)
*Zhuhai Kirin President Brewery Company, Limited (China)
Soft drink business
*
Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast (United States)
Pharmaceutical business
*Kirin-Amgen, Inc. (United States)
*Gemini Science, Inc. (United States)
*Hematech Inc. (United States)
*Jeil-Kirin Pharmaceutical, Inc. (South Korea)
*Kirin Pharmaceuticals Company, Limited (Taiwan)
*Kirin Pharmaceuticals (Asia) Company, Limited (Hong Kong, China)
*Kirin Kunpeng (China) Bio-Pharmaceutical Company, Limited (China)
*
Blackmores Limited (Australia)
Agribio business
*Twyford International, Inc. (United States)
*Kirin Agribio EC B.V. (Paris Office) (France)
*Southern Glass House Produce, Limited (England)
*Fides Holding B.V. (Netherlands)
*Barberet & Blanc, S.A. (Spain)
*Qingdao International Seeds Company, Limited (China)
*Germicopa S.A. (France)
*Kirin Agribio Shanghai Company, Limited (China)
Other business
*Kirin Australia Pty., Limited (Australia)
*Indústria Agrícola Tozan Ltda. (Brazil)
See also
*
Beer in Japan
*
Kirin Cup
The is an association football tournament organised in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan national football team, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 then known as Japan Cup (Internatio ...
References
External links
*
*
Kirin 100th Anniversary Beers
{{authority control
Brewery companies based in Tokyo
Beer brands of Japan
Japanese brands
Alcoholic drink companies
Japanese companies established in 1885
Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Companies listed on the Osaka Exchange
Companies in the Nikkei 225
Mitsubishi companies
Companies formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange
Coca-Cola bottlers
Multinational companies headquartered in Japan
Food and drink companies established in 1885
Conglomerate companies based in Tokyo
Holding companies based in Tokyo
Drink companies of Japan