Page 2 - Kirin Holdings Case Study

Creating Shared
Value (CSV)

Kirin Holdings,

through a series of
company ownerships

and alliances, is the

holding company of

Kirin Group, a global beer, food and pharmaceutical
producer in Japan. With a beer producing history stretching

back to 1885 the Kirin Group had by the 1960s grown to

account for 60% of the Japanese beer-market. However, this

market was based on production of heavy bitter beer and by
the 1970’s the Japanese beer market had plateaued.

Moreover, by the 1980s taste was changing as customers

demanded a lighter, crisper beer.

In response the company launched in 1990, a premium

quality beer, KIRIN ICHIBAN with a unique first press wart

process produced from the finest barley malt and premium

hops. It had the highest first year sales of any beer in the
company’s history up to that point.