[Japanese Side] Yamazaki 100th Anniversary... The Story of Suntory Founder of 'Japanese Whisky'

Shinjiro Torii Started as a Wholesaler
Presented Wine and Whiskey Tailored to Japanese Tastes... From Harsh Criticism to 'Great Success'

These days, many people buy Suntory whiskey when they travel to Japan. Japanese whiskey is very popular in Korea. This year marks Suntory's 100th anniversary, and you can often see limited edition Yamazaki Highball commemorating this milestone at Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets.

But where did this Japanese whiskey actually begin? In fact, Suntory is a company that broke the formula of "wine and whiskey won't sell in Japan" and succeeded. Today, we share the story of Suntory's founder, Shinjiro Torii.

The late Torii Shinjiro tasting whiskey. (Photo by National Diet Library of Japan)

Shinjiro was born in Osaka in 1879. At the age of 13, he started working at a wholesaler dealing in wine and whiskey, and in 1899, when he turned 20, he opened his own business. He put up a signboard named "Torii Shoten" after his own name.

Like when he worked at the wholesaler, he imported Spanish wine and sold it, but the market response was not as good as expected, with comments like "it's sour." At that time, wine was a rare luxury item unfamiliar to the general public, who often consumed alcohol more as medicine than for enjoyment.

Because of this, Shinjiro vowed to create a wine that suited the Japanese palate by repeatedly experimenting with combinations of imported wine, sweeteners, and flavorings. After many trials, in 1907 he released "Akadama Port Wine." Although its taste, aroma, and color were all different from traditional port wine, it became the starting point for Japanese-style wine. "Akadama (赤玉)" literally means "red ball" in kanji and symbolizes the sun on the Japanese flag.

How to promote it? Shinjiro advertised this wine with Japan's first nude poster in the Osaka edition of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. In the black-and-white poster, only the wine in the glass held by the model was colored red to attract attention. This poster, released in 1922, was so popular that it won first place at a poster exhibition in Germany.

Akadama Port Wine released in 1907 (left) and a newspaper advertisement. (Photo by Suntory)

Shinjiro decided to invest the profits earned from this wine into whiskey production. At this time, he was already over 40 years old. In Japan, the smoky aroma of whiskey was not popular at all, which motivated him to challenge domestic whiskey production.

In fact, making whiskey in a liquor company requires a lot of time and money. The brewed liquid must be distilled and aged lying down in barrels for 10 to 20 years to complete. Even with a large investment, it takes time before whiskey can be shipped as a product, and no profit is made during that period.

However, Shinjiro invested most of the profits from selling port wine into this venture. He built the very first distillery in Yamazaki. Suntory's "Yamazaki Factory" is Japan's first distillery. He stayed at the factory himself and devoted himself to whiskey production.

Yamazaki, located southwest of Kyoto, is known for its excellent water. Three rivers converge there, creating a humid environment with mist, which is said to be ideal for making whiskey.

The appearance of the Yamazaki Distillery. (Photo by Yamazaki 100th Anniversary Homepage)

He appointed Masataka Taketsuru, who had learned whiskey brewing methods directly in Scotland, as the first factory manager. This person later became the founder of "Nikka Whiskey," famous for its large billboard in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The two stayed at the distillery, focusing on improvements and blending, and in 1929 released Japan's first domestic whiskey, "Suntory Whiskey Shirofuda (白札)." This was the beginning of the Suntory name. Since all the whiskey production was possible because Akadama Port Wine sold well, the name Suntory was created by combining the English word "Sun," meaning the sun from Akadama, and his own name "Torii." Shirofuda means "White Label" in kanji and is the origin of today's Suntory White Label.

However, the first attempt failed. The smoky aroma characteristic of Scotch whiskey was harshly criticized by Japanese people as smelling like "burnt odor."

After repeated trials and errors, Suntory Red was released in 1930, and Suntory Whiskey 12 Years in 1937. The Suntory Whiskey 12 Years was a model confidently launched by Shinjiro and is considered the original "Kakubin." It is now a steady seller for Suntory. As its popularity grew, the Shirofuda, which had not sold and was stored in warehouses, matured and its aroma changed to suit Japanese tastes. Thanks to this, the White Label also became a popular product. At this time, as Japan entered economic growth, demand increased significantly, leading to a boom.

Early models of Suntory whiskey released in the initial phase. (Photo by Yamazaki 100th Anniversary official website)

Carrying on Shinjiro's will, Suntory continues to focus on this business. As of 2021, they have built 157 distilleries, more than double the number from 10 years ago. They also produce "craft whiskey" handled by small-scale distilleries. The Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries are undergoing renovations costing 10 billion yen. Since April 2021, the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association has established standards for Japanese whiskey, such as using only water from Japan and aging in barrels stored in Japan for more than three years.

Shinjiro, who broke the stereotype that neither wine nor whiskey would ever sell in Japan and invented a steady seller loved worldwide, is well known for his famous saying, "Just try it (やってみなはれ)." The company culture that "fear of results is evil, and not trying is a sin" originated here. Today, Suntory has become a large corporation involved in cultural projects such as museums and concert halls, and owns brands like Boss, Japan's national coffee. These achievements would have been impossible without the founder's adventurous spirit.