Kirin Company, Limited
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Native name
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キリン株式会社 |
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Romanized name
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Kirin Kabushiki-gaisha |
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Formerly called
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Japan Brewery |
| Kabushiki Kaisha | |
| Traded as | : OTC Pink: |
| Industry | Beverage |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Headquarters | Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
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Key people
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Senji Miyake (President and CEO) |
| Services | Strategic management and oversight of the domestic beverage business. |
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Number of employees
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870 (2013) |
| Parent | Kirin Holdings Company, Limited |
| Divisions | Kirin Brewery Company, Limited; Mercian Corporation; Kirin Beverages Company, Limited |
| Website | www |
Kirin Company, Limited (キリン株式会社 Kirin Kabushiki-gaisha) is an integrated beverages company. It is a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings Company, Limited. Its major operating units include Kirin Brewery Company, Limited, Mercian Corporation and Kirin Beverages Company, Limited. Kirin is a member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) keiretsu.
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 in 1869 by Norwegian-American brewer, William Copeland. In a deal brokered by Thomas Blake Glover, the Japan Brewery was incorporated in Hong Kong 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.
The 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 the Japan Brewery retaining the use of malted grains and hops 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 overseas.
Kirin Brewery sells two of the most popular beers in Japan: Kirin Lager, one of the country's oldest beer brands which started brewing in 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 and Heineken.
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 technology to areas such as plant genetics, pharmaceuticals, and bioengineering. Although brewing and related businesses remain the core of Kirin's activities, the company is also involved in several other sectors: hard liquor, wine, soft drinks, and food products.
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Wikipedia