Asahi Breweries

Background

Updated: 27th November 2008

Asahi Breweries is a leading beer company in Japan, commanding some 40% of the country's beer market. Ashai's portfolio of beer products is anchored by its Asahi Super Dry brand, but it also includes low-malt and no-malt beers (sold under the Asahi Honnama and Asahi Shinnama brands) and other beverages, such as whiskey and shochu. In addition to its alcoholic beverage business, Asahi makes WONDA coffee drinks, a variety of soft drinks, and bottled tea and water, along with food products, baby food and nutritional supplements.

The origins of Asahi Breweries go way back to 1889 when the Osaka Beer Brewing Co. was formed.

In 1892, the brewer’s first beer, Asahi Beer, was launched and a second, Asahi Draft Beer, followed in 1900.

Six years later Osaka merged with local rivals Japan Beer and Sapporo Beer into DaiNippon Beer Co, which had held a monopoly on the Japanese beer market until World War Two.

In 1949, DaiNippon was split in two and Asahi Breweries was established. Throughout the next three decades, Asahi launched a series of products and was the first with a number of manufacturing innovations.

In 1987, Asahi launched Japan’s first dry beer, Asahi Super Dry, a product that later propelled the brewer to the top spot in Japan’s beer industry. A year later, Asahi’s soft drinks unit, Asahi Beer Soft Drinks Co. was founded.

In 1994, Asahi entered the nascent Chinese beer market with the acquisition of stakes in three local brewers. Two years later, Asahi reorganised its soft drinks business to form Asahi Soft Drinks Co.

In 1998, Asahi opened offices in the US and Europe and became the largest brewer in Japan by sales volume.

Since 2000, Asahi has entered the low-malt (happoshu) and “third-beer” categories in Japan as mainstream beer sales stagnate.

Since 2006, Asahi closed its European office, expanded its Chinese operations and has battled for top spot in Japan with rival brewer Kirin.

Mailing address:
23-1, Azumabashi 1-chome, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-8602, Japan
Fax: +81-3-5608-5152

Associated links:
http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/english/