1890s-
Our Founding
1899
Our founder Shinjiro Torii, with his pioneering spirit, set out to create Western-style liquors that would suit Japanese palates, defining the company for years to come.
1907
He launched Akadama Port Wine, an early cornerstone of Suntory.
1920s-
Enriching the drinking
culture with Japanese whisky
1921
We established the social welfare organization "Hojukai," reflecting our values of giving back to society.
1923
Construction of the Yamazaki Distillery, Japan’s first malt whisky distillery, began creating an authentic whisky born from the Japanese climate, suited to Japanese palates.
1929
Suntory Whisky Shirofuda, Japan’s first authentic whisky, was launched.
1937
This year marked the birth of a beloved Japanese whisky, Suntory Whisky Kakubin (square bottle) which embodies the distinctive flavor suited to Japanese tastes of which Shinjiro had dreamed.
1946
We established the Institute of Food Chemistry, now known as the Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences.
1950
Torys Bars and Suntory Bars opened one after the other, centered in Tokyo and Osaka.
1960s-
Stepping up to the Beer business
1961
We dedicated ourselves to supporting the arts and enriching the human experience by establishing the Suntory Museum of Art, just as Japan was seeking economic prosperity.
1963
We launched Suntory Beer, and began rebuilding our beer business in a market dominated by more established competitors.
1963
The name of the company has been changed to Suntory.
1969
The Torii Music Foundation was established.
1970s-
Expansion beyond a liquor company to a lifestyle company dedicated enriching people's lives
1973
The Hakushu Distillery was established.
Its location in the foothills of Mt. Kaikomagatake, in Japan’s Southern Alps, give it access to cool, clear water that flow through a pristine forest environment.
1973
The Suntory Bird Conservation Activities opened on the distillery grounds. It launched its “Save the Birds” campaign with the slogan “Today Birds, Tomorrow Humans,” to signify its starting point of preserving the natural environment and biodiversity.
1973
The Suntory Sunbirds volleyball team was formed.
1975
Japan's first noble rot grape variety harvested at Yamanashi Winery (currently Tomi no Oka Winery).
1979
We established the Suntory Foundation.
1980
The rugby team, Suntory Sungoliath was formed.
1983
Château Lagrange in Bordeaux, France became a part of Suntory group.
1986
Suntory Hall, Tokyo's first dedicated concert hall, opened with the goal of pursuing “the world's most beautiful sound”. To enrich lives beyond merely sound, the hall introduced vineyard-style seating and began offering drinks before and between shows to foster connections among people.
1989
We entered flower business with the Surfinia brand.
1990s-
Setting its sights on becoming a global, multifaceted beverage company
1990s
The food & beverage business, which started in 1972, launched many iconic brands such as BOSS coffee.
It also expanded its share in the soft drinks market.
1993
We expanded into the health and nutrition business with sales of the supplement product, Sesamin.
2003
We launched the Suntory Natural Water Sanctuary Initiative in Japan to improve water resource cultivation and preserving biodiversity.
2004
The world's first blue rose was successfully developed, despite being considered impossible to create.
2004
“Mizuiku”-Education Program for Nature and Water was created, providing children with interactive experiences that showcase the importance of water.
2005
We adopted a new corporate logo incorporating water.
2009
Suntory acquired the New Zealand-based Frucor Group.
2009
The Suntory Foundation for the Arts was founded, to holistically enrich society through art and music.
2009
Suntory joined forces with Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC (PBV) to strengthen our presence in North America.
2009
We acquired the Orangina Schweppes Group in France, and unlocked new markets in Europe.
2013
Suntory Beverage & Food Limited was listed in the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
2014
Lucozade Ribena Suntory Limited started production and sales of Lucozade and Ribena brands transferred from GlaxoSmithKline plc.
2014
We partnered with the Beam inc. in the United States, and became one of the world's largest premium spirits company.
2015
We expanded the “Mizuiku”-Education Program for Nature and Water into Vietnam.
2016
We opened the “Natural Water Sanctuary” on the grounds of the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Kentucky, making it our very first Natural Water Sanctuary outside of Japan.
2018
We began exporting BOSS coffee products to our overseas markets.
2021
We launched -196 localized to local tastes and alcohol content in Australia
2021
We celebrated the centennial of our social welfare organization, Hojukai, which operates Takadonoen nursing home and Tsubomi Nursery School in Osaka.
2023
This year marked the 100th anniversary of Suntory whisky.
2024
We expanded next generation empowerment activities that help support children.