Our founding values guide us in coexisting with society and nature

More than 125 years have passed since my great grandfather, Shinjiro Torii, founded Suntory in Osaka, Japan. Throughout the years, Suntory Group has made it its mission to contribute to the creation of a rich lifestyle culture by delivering the highest quality products and services to consumers, while at the same time achieving coexistence with diverse societies and the natural environment. Moving forward, guided by our purpose “To inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature,” we will continue to pursue the realization of “the brilliance of life” for all people around the world.

In doing so, we firmly embrace our values of “Yatte Minahare” and “Giving Back to Society” that have been thoroughly passed down by our predecessors.

Suntory’s origin traces back to our founder’s bold ambition of spreading the Western liquor culture in Japan and creating a Japanese whisky that suits the Japanese palate. Since then, Suntory has continued to build on its history of “Yatte Minahare,” taking on bold challenges in the relentless pursuit of creating new value, including making way into Japan’s then-oligopolistic beer market, and entering the soft drinks, RTD and health and wellness businesses, expanding globally in that time to become the multifaceted beverages company we are today.
In addition, our value of “Giving Back to Society” has guided us to give back what our business earns, not only by reinvesting in our company, but also by bringing good to consumers and society through longstanding efforts such as promoting the culture, arts and science and protecting the environment. The initiatives we have conducted for over more than one hundred years in pursuit of coexistence with society and nature shape the very essence of sustainability. Today, these initiatives expand globally.

Leading the world in water sustainability

Suntory Group’s business depends on the gifts of nature including water and raw ingredients. Passing on these gifts of nature with an abundant natural environment to the future generations is our important obligation, and an essential prerequisite for the future of all Suntory Group business activities. In particular, we recognize that water is an urgent issue, as it is predicted that approximately 5 billion people worldwide will face severe water shortages by 2050.
To ensure the sustainability of water, which is a precious resource that we share with local communities, Suntory Group established our “Water Philosophy” to be embraced throughout the Group, conducting initiatives to protect water resources over many years. For example. It was more than 20 years ago that we started the Natural Water Sanctuary Initiative in Japan for the purpose of improving the water source recharge function and biodiversity of the forests that nurture groundwater. We will continue to promote these initiatives to achieve net water positive globally, replenishing more than 100% of the water we use at our production plants. In addition, Suntory Group offers “Mizuiku” — education program for nature and water, a unique program designed to teach the next generation the importance of water which marked its 20th anniversary in 2024. These programs have now expanded to 8 countries, reaching 1.19 million people.
Through years of activity, we believe that the knowledge and expertise accumulated by Suntory Group are important assets in achieving the sustainability of water. We will continue our efforts with a strong commitment to demonstrating leadership not only in the areas where we operate but also in addressing water challenges worldwide.

Placing sustainability at the core of management to pass on a sustainable society to future generations

Aiming to realize a society in harmony with people and nature, Suntory Group has set the “Environmental Targets toward 2030” with a focus on water, containers and packaging, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With only 5 years remaining until 2030, we will work together as a united Group, collaborating with stakeholders across the entire value chain, and accelerating our efforts to achieve our goals with even greater determination.
As we move forward, we will continue to place sustainability at the core of our management, listening to the voices of our stakeholders, including our consumers, and delivering the highest quality products and services that meet the needs of the times. As we continue to grow as a global multifaceted beverages company, we will continue to innovate and embrace new challenges, with the commitment to pass on to the next generation a sustainable society that “inspires the brilliance of life.”

March 2025
Nobuhiro Torii
Representative Director, President
Suntory Holdings Limited