Page 7 - Kirin Holdings Case Study

being good. We want our first press beer to represent the

Kirin brand abroad.” Yoshinori Isozaki, CEO & President, Kirin Holdings
(2)

In 2014 Kirin had purchased a prominent stake in a
Japanese craft Brewer and it had also formed international

partnerships including one with a major Brewer from New

York. Also, of Japan’s major beer makers Kirin was the most
focused on craft beer. At the time craft beer only accounted

for about 1% of Japan’s beer market. But in the US that

number was over 10%. Isozaki imagined a future where in

Japan craft beer was just as big. In the next five years he
wanted to see it grow to about 3%. (2)

Kirin Group wholly owns Lion Beer having bought the

company in 2009 and in 2015 it acquired 80% of Myanmar
Brewery (MBL), the largest beer producer in Myanmar.

However, other global producers were being attracted to

this growth market of ‘Asia’s Last Frontier’.

Spearheaded in 2015 by Isozaki, craft beer pubs were
opened for people in their 20 and 30s. For Isozaki, the

rationale for this was that in the past it was about mass

production now it was about the customer’s lifestyle, how
they feel today. It was about meeting different needs with

individual beers which have individual personalities.

After beer the next area where Isozaki turned his attention

was health products.

“This area of business is all about imagination. Birth rates

are low. The population is ageing. People want to be active

in their golden years, as active as they can be. I really do

think there is a market there but it’s no good just
recognising the market. We want to help by using all the