By KAZUYA OMURO/ Staff Writer
February 20, 2025 at 08:00 JST
Bottles of Dassai sake produced by Asahi Shuzo Co. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
IWAKUNI, Yamaguchi Prefecture—Renowned sake producer Asahi Shuzo Co. based here will change its name to Dassai Inc. in June to capitalize on recognition of its popular brand and further expand overseas sales.
The brewery, whose predecessor was founded in 1770, is aiming for annual sales of 100 billion yen ($641 million)--30 billion yen at home and 70 billion yen abroad.
Hiroshi Sakurai, the third-generation president of Asahi Shuzo who now serves as chairman, developed Dassai around 1990 and expanded its business to Tokyo.
Almost all Dassai products are top-quality “junmai daiginjo” sake made of highly polished rice. The brand became popular for its fruity flavor and refreshing feel.
In his second stint as prime minister, Shinzo Abe gave a bottle of Dassai sake to U.S. President Barack Obama as a gift.
The company said it sold 19.5 billion yen worth of Dassai products in the business year ending in September 2024, including 10.8 billion yen in Japan and 8.7 billion yen abroad.
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