As reported on TV, newspapers, and other media, I believe many of you reading this are already aware that we have made the decision to change the company name from Asahi Shuzo Co., Ltd. to Dassai Inc.
When we travel abroad, we are often asked, “Is your company a subsidiary of a beer manufacturer?” or “Is your parent company a newspaper company?” There are even misunderstandings like “Because you are backed by the national government, you can do such things,” which requires a lot of explanation. Simply put, we have only been producing DASSAI for the past 20 years, and the name Asahi Shuzo no longer holds meaning.
The idea for the name change has been in the works for about 10 years. However, while changing the company name is the right decision in the long term, it comes with short-term challenges. There are changes to labels, various license applications, and export procedures. Since nearly half of our sales come from exports, we face the complicated task of adjusting customs procedures in each country, and we expect about a month and a half of export suspension in mainland China. These factors led to the delay, but I have now decided that if we don’t do it now, we will never be able to do it in the future.
This decision was made because we believe that our overseas sales will only continue to increase from here on. Furthermore, as the brand DASSAI has grown with the help of everyone, I feel that expanding internationally is our mission. As of now, Asahi Shuzo’s annual sales are 19.5 billion yen, (Approx, $125 million US) and if we combine this with DASSAI Blue, the total exceeds 20 billion yen (Approx, $129 million US)when calculated on a fiscal year basis. As a sake brewery with this sales figure, I feel that aiming to be a sake brewery with a presence on the global stage is a duty for us as Japanese citizens.
Symbolically, we often say within the company, “Let’s aim for 100 billion yen (Approx, $642 million US) in sales.” While some of Japan’s brands, like Toyota and Panasonic, have companies worth trillions of yen, 100 billion yen may seem small. However, there are no other brands in the fashion or food industry that are positioned like DASSAI and have surpassed 100 billion yen in sales. We believe that pursuing 100 billion yen for DASSAI is valuable.
In line with this, during the announcement of the name change, our president shared several exciting plans. These include building a new brewery, opening a Paris restaurant in collaboration with Yannick Alléno, a Michelin three-star chef from France, creating a one-night-only DASSAI bar at the Academy Awards in Hollywood, presenting and launching "Future Composed - DASSAI" at the Austrian Pavilion at Expo 2025, and releasing a space-brewed sake, "DASSAI MOON," in preparation for human life on the moon (details for each of these plans can be found on our website).
For a small brewery like DASSAI, these plans would have seemed like “dreams, dreams, and more dreams” 40 years ago. However, when DASSAI started gaining recognition 20 years ago, I declared, “Now, thanks to all of you, I stand in the batter’s box, and even if it ends in a huge strikeout, I will swing the bat.” This declaration was made as we turned our backs on the trend of shrinking within the traditional Japanese industry and kept moving forward. DASSAI is committed to “swinging the bat continuously.”
January 23, 2025: Company Name Change Greeting (On the day of the announcement, while the president shared exciting future plans, I spoke about the following)
I would like to share the story of how Asahi Shuzo has come this far. It all started with my grandfather, Kiichi Sakurai, who was the second son of a sake brewery that went bankrupt. He left his hometown of Hikari City and sought employment at a sake brewery in a mountain village.
Eventually, in 1910, Kiichi borrowed the sake brewery from its disheartened owner and began managing the brewery under the name Sakurai Sakaba. The brand was named “Shuto Sakura” after the local region. In 1926, he officially purchased the brewery and registered the sake brewing license under his name. At that time, the brewery served only the local village and delivered via a large cart. Business seemed to be going well, but as the Pacific War intensified, the brewery was forced to close due to corporate restructuring.
In 1948, after returning from the war, my father, Hiroji Sakurai, Kiichi’s second son, revived the sake brewery under the new name Asahi Shuzo Co., Ltd., and the brand was renamed “Asahi Fuji.”
After my grandfather’s death in 1960, my father became the second president and expanded sales from the local village to the eastern region of Yamaguchi Prefecture, benefiting from the post-war economic growth. However, the first oil shock of 1973 marked the beginning of a long-term downturn for the industry. In 1976, I, Hiroshi Sakurai, returned to the brewery.
Facing an uncertain future, I frequently clashed with my father, who was still tied to the success of the high-growth era, and eventually, I was forced to leave the brewery. My father, though likely unwilling, could not reconcile with me, and our relationship remained strained until his death in 1984. Despite the estrangement, I succeeded him as the third president. However, when I took over, the sales of Asahi Shuzo had dwindled to a third of what they were 10 years prior.
I made efforts to revive the company, but by the 1980s, the fierce sales competition among sake breweries had caused us to fall behind. This led me to focus on developing the Tokyo market, which ultimately resulted in the creation of DASSAI, a premium sake made with Junmai Daiginjo. At that time, Junmai Daiginjo was still considered a fantasy in the industry, with no mass production technology or market, but I clung to the hope that this sake and its success in Tokyo would save us. I was ridiculed by many, who said, “Sake from Yamaguchi can’t sell in Tokyo.”
Thanks to many failures, we have now grown our sales to 19.5 billion yen, which is nearly 200 times the original amount, and all the sake we produce is DASSAI.
In this way, the harsh reality of having no escape led Asahi Shuzo to where it is today.
Looking ahead, Asahi Shuzo will aim for a level of sales that is befitting of a premium Japanese brand on the world stage. By breaking out of the traditional confines of sake and presenting DASSAI as a premium brand from Japan, we believe it will change the perception of Japanese products in the global market. Japan’s reputation for producing only large-scale, economically rational products that have recently lost their shine will be challenged.
With this determination, we have decided to change our company name to Dassai Inc.
Thank you all. We look forward to your continued support.