Matsui Shuzo

What Matsui Shuzo does

Matsui Shuzo (松井酒造合名会社) is a privately held Japanese unlimited partnership (Goumei Gaisha) operating a traditional brewery and distillery founded in 1910 in Tottori Prefecture, with its primary whisky production at Kurayoshi Distillery. The company produces a broad alcoholic beverage portfolio spanning whisky (Kurayoshi and Daisen lines), sake (Tottori, Sanin, Matsui), gin, umeshu, rice shochu, liqueurs, craft beer, ready-to-drink highballs, and ancillary soft drinks such as Tottori Cola. Its competitive identity is anchored in 115+ years of regional Tottori brewing heritage, multiple 2026 international awards (IWSC, WWA, ISC, WPA), and a recent capacity expansion via the December 2025 completion of the Sanin region's largest beer factory.

Name

Matsui Shuzo

Legal name

松井酒造合名会社

Website

https://matsui-shuzo.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Matsui Shuzo is a traditional Japanese brewery and distillery founded in 1910 in Tottori Prefecture, producing whisky, sake, gin, shochu, beer, umeshu, and highballs for domestic consumers, regional restaurants, and international export markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Whisky & Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (31214), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Distilleries (312140)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Sake, Soju & Other Asian Alcoholic Beverages Producers & Brands (CRADAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sake & Traditional Rice Wine Production (AFAFAAAG)

Keywords

• Japanese whisky production
• Craft spirit distillery
• Traditional sake brewing
• Umeshu plum liqueur
• Craft beer manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Consumer Product Sales: Direct sales of alcoholic beverages (whisky, shochu, gin, umeshu, liqueur, beer, highball) and soft drinks to individual consumers through online store and retail channels.
2. Professional/Barrel Sales: Bulk barrel sales of beer and other alcoholic products to restaurants and food service establishments in Tottori and Osaka areas.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Matsui Shuzo is a traditional Japanese brewery and distillery established in 1910 in Tottori Prefecture, operating the Kurayoshi Distillery. It produces and sells a portfolio of Japanese alcoholic beverages including whisky (Kurayoshi, Daisen), sake (Matsui, Tottori, Sanin brands), gin, rice shochu, umeshu (plum liqueur), liqueurs, craft beer, ready-to-drink highballs, and soft drinks. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company online store and to restaurants through B2B professional barrel sales.

Product overview

Matsui Shuzo is a traditional Japanese brewery producing a diverse portfolio of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The core offering spans whisky (Kurayoshi, Daisen brands), sake (Tottori, Sanin, Matsui brands), gin, liqueurs, umeshu, rice shochu, beer, highballs, and soft drinks. The company operates Kurayoshi Distillery for whisky production and has recently expanded with a new large-scale beer factory (completed December 2025). Products are sold through multiple channels including online store, duty-free shops with exclusive bottle designs, and professional food service bulk products for restaurants. The portfolio is organized around regional brand identities (Kurayoshi, Tottori, Sanin, Daisen) and product categories (spirits, liqueurs, beer, soft drinks).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 倉吉 (Kurayoshi): Whisky brand including Kurayoshi 18-year, Japanese Vatted Malt of the year winner
• 松井 (Matsui)
• 鳥取 (Tottori)
• 山陰 (Sanin)
• 大山 (Daisen)
• マツイ梅酒 (Matsui Umeshu)
• マツイジン (Matsui Gin)
• マツイリキュール (Matsui Liqueur)
• 米焼酎 (Rice Shochu)
• マツイビール (Matsui Beer)
• マツイハイボール (Matsui Highball)
• 清涼飲料水 (Soft Drinks)

Products and services

• Kurayoshi Whisky (倉吉)

Quantifiable outcome

• Gold medal at IWSC 2026 for Daisen Sherry Cask
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Asahi Group Holdings: Major Japanese beverage conglomerate (Super Dry beer, Nikka whisky, RTDs). Directly comparable on beer and RTD highball categories where Matsui is scaling with its new Sanin-region brewery.
• Suntory Holdings: Japan's largest spirits producer (Yamazaki, Hibiki, Hakushu whisky, plus beer, RTD). Direct comparability on Kurayoshi whisky and broader spirits portfolio, but vastly larger scale, global distribution, and marketing budget.
• Kirin Holdings: Japanese brewing and spirits conglomerate (Kirin Ichiban beer, Four Roses bourbon, plus whisky and RTDs). Comparable across Matsui's beer and highball categories and a likely competitor for shelf space.
• Sapporo Holdings: Japanese beer and beverage major (Sapporo, Yebisu) with growing whisky and spirits interests. Comparable on the beer/RTD highball side where Matsui's new brewery will compete for on-premise accounts.

Direct peers

• White Oak Distillery (Eigashima): Family-owned Akashi White Oak Japanese whisky producer; comparable scale, multi-category Japanese spirits output, and craft export positioning to Matsui Shuzo.
• Gekkeikan Sake: Long-established Japanese sake producer (founded 1637) with international distribution and multi-category sake/liqueur portfolio. Comparable on sake, shochu, and liqueur categories.
• Nikka Whisky Distilling: Owned by Asahi Group, producer of Yoichi and Miyagikyo single malts and the Nikka Days blended range. Direct Japanese whisky competitor targeting overlapping premium and craft consumer segments.
• Hombo Shuzo (Mars Shinshu): Family-owned Japanese distillery producing Mars whisky, shochu, and umeshu from a similarly regional terroir base. Closest like-for-like peer to Matsui Shuzo in size, heritage, and multi-category portfolio.
• Venture Whisky (Ichiro's Malt): Producer of Ichiro's Malt, a globally recognized craft Japanese whisky. Comparable in craft positioning, export focus, and award-winning profile, though more whisky-pure-play.
• Takara Shuzo: Producer of Japanese sake, shochu, mirin, and whisky under brands including Shuzhou and Tomi. Direct multi-category Japanese alcoholic beverage peer with comparable export and craft focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/matsuiwhisky
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MatsuiWhisky
• Facebookfacebook.com/matsuiwhisky
• Instagraminstagram.com/matsuiwhisky
• TikToktiktok.com/@matsuiwhisky

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Matsui Shuzo