Kirin turns to overseas markets to boosts sales of its Fuji whisky brand

Kirin Brewery Co. is targeting increased whisky sales abroad to reach around $27 million by 2030, more than seven times the figure in 2022, focusing on its “Fuji” brand.

Underground water collected in the area of the Fuji Gotenba distillery is used for the brand, which was launched in Japan in 2020.

Kirin Brewery started selling the Fuji brand overseas, in the United States and France in 2021. Last year, it marketed the brand in Australia, China, and Singapore.

The company’s overseas whisky sales in 2022, much of which came from the Fuji brand, totaled 450 million yen, topping its domestic sales of 340 million yen for the Fuji brand.

By 2030, the company plans to have overseas sales make up the majority of revenue from Fuji whisky.

The company, known more as a beer-brewing giant and a relatively new and unknown player in Japan’s whisky market, estimates it has only about a 2 to 3 percent share of the Japanese whisky market, well behind Suntory Spirits Ltd. and Nikka Whisky Distilling Co.

According to Hideki Horiguchi, president of Kirin Brewery, It’s difficult to significantly increase their share of Japan’e whisky market.

Kirin Brewery this year marks the 50th anniversary of its Fuji Gotenba distillery in Shizuoka Prefecture, which started producing whisky in 1973.

By comparison, Suntory began constructing its Yamazaki distillery in Osaka Prefecture in 1923. And Nikka was founded nearly 90 years ago.