KURAYOSHI DISTILLERY

Name

KURAYOSHI DISTILLERY

Legal name

松井酒造合名会社 (Matsui Shuzo An Unlimited Partnership)

Website

https://matsuiwhisky.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Whisky & Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Breweries (312120), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Japanese whisky production
• Craft distillery products
• Barrel-aged spirits
• Craft beer manufacturing
• Ready-to-drink cocktails

Headquarters

HQ city

Kurayoshi City

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Whisky Production and Sales: Core revenue stream from production and sale of whisky products across multiple price tiers and aging categories (pure malt, blended, single malt) under Kurayoshi, Matsui, Tottori, San-in, and Daisen brand names. Includes duty-free retail限定 products.
2. Spirits and Gin: Production and sale of Japanese craft gin (Matsui Gin 白兎-HAKUTO-) and spirits, sold in domestic retail and export markets.
3. Umeshu and Liqueurs: Wide range of umeshu (plum wine) and liqueur products including the Tottori Liqueur 'Shiro Usagi' series featuring local fruits (pear, peach, yuzu, mandarin, strawberry, lemon, mango, grape, apple, matcha, plum).
4. Shochu: Premium rice shochu 'Kurayoshi' produced using Japan's first production method, won World's Best at World Shochu Awards 2025.
5. Beer and RTD Products: MATSUI Beer (craft beer) sold in kegs (5L/10L/20L) to foodservice, and canned RTD products including highballs (山陰, 大山 series with various cask types) and umeshu sodas. Matsui Tottori Beer for Tottori restaurant market.
6. Foodservice Keg Products: Keg products for restaurants including beer, highball, chu-hi, bottled beer, blended whisky (Daisen Mizunara Cask, THE OSAKA), gin (白兎), and syrups — sold to restaurants and hospitality businesses via direct sales.
7. Soft Drinks: Non-alcoholic beverages including 'Tottori Cola' and 'Tottori Cider' leveraging the distillery's brand and production capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kurayoshi Distillery (Matsui Shuzo) manufactures and sells a diversified portfolio of Japanese alcoholic beverages including pure malt and blended whiskies (Kurayoshi, Matsui, Tottori, San-in, Daisen series), Japanese craft gin (Hakuto), premium rice shochu, umeshu plum liqueurs, fruit liqueurs (Shiro Usagi series), craft beer (MATSUI Beer), ready-to-drink highballs, and non-alcoholic soft drinks. Production is based in Kurayoshi and Tottori City using deep natural water from Mt. Daisen and barrel aging across multiple cask types. Products are sold to Japanese consumers, exported to 65+ countries, and supplied to restaurants via keg products.

Product overview

KURAYOSHI DISTILLERY (Matsui Shuzo) is a diversified Japanese alcoholic beverage company offering whisky, gin, shochu, liqueur, umeshu (plum wine), beer, highball RTDs, and soft drinks. The product portfolio centers on four whisky brands: Kurayoshi (pure malt, aged expressions), Matsui (single malt with Japanese oak finishes), Tottori and San-in (blended whiskies), and Daisen (barrel-shaped bottle series with liqueurs). Supporting spirits include Hakuto craft gin featuring local pears, rice shochu, and plum liqueurs. The company has expanded into beer and RTD beverages (highball, umeshu soda, gin soda) plus non-alcoholic soft drinks, all unified by the use of Daisen mountain natural spring water and the Kurayoshi Distillery production expertise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KURAYOSHI: Flagship pure malt whisky brand featuring age-stated expressions (8, 12, 18 years) and sherry cask finishes
• Matsui
• Tottori
• Daisen
• Matsui Umeshu
• 白兎-HAKUTO-
• 白うさぎ (Shiro Usagi)
• MATSUI BEER

Products and services

• Kurayoshi Pure Malt Whisky (倉吉)

Quantifiable outcome

• Kurayoshi 18 Years scored 95.5/100 and won 'Japanese Vatted Malt of the Year' in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2025/2026 — the world's most influential whisky guide
• +5 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sakurao Brewery & Distillery: Hiroshima-based craft producer of Japanese whisky, gin, and liqueurs. Comparable as a craft Japanese spirits producer pursuing international awards and export markets, with overlapping product categories to Matsui.
• Nagahama Distillery: Shiga Prefecture craft distillery producing whisky, gin, and beer. Overlapping craft positioning and category span with Matsui Shuzo, though smaller and at earlier stage of international development.

Others

• Mercian (Kirin Group wine/spirits): Japanese wine and spirits producer under Kirin. Relevant as a domestic distribution and wholesale counterpart, with overlap in Japanese spirits and broader alcohol portfolio competition.

Direct peers

• Hombo Shuzo (Shinshu Mars Distillery): Operates the Shinshu Mars Distillery in Nagano Prefecture, producing a comparable portfolio of Japanese whisky, gin, umeshu, and shochu. Closest direct competitor in scale, category breadth, and family-owned craft positioning.
• Eigashima Shuzo (White Oak): Long-established Hyogo Prefecture distillery producing Japanese whisky, gin, and spirits. Highly comparable as a multi-generational, family-owned operation producing award-winning whisky at accessible price points.
• Ohishi Whisky: Family-owned Kumamoto distillery producing rice-based whisky and shochu. Comparable multi-generational family operation with Japanese terroir-driven whisky positioning and international craft following.
• Chichibu Distillery (Ichiro's Malt): Saitama-based craft Japanese whisky distillery with strong international following and award recognition. Comparable in craft positioning and export focus, though smaller and more whisky-specialized than Matsui Shuzo.

Broad incumbents

• Kirin Holdings: Major Japanese beverage conglomerate with alcohol and non-alcoholic portfolios. Relevant as a competitor in beer, RTD, and broader beverage categories where Matsui Shuzo is expanding via the new Tottori beer factory.
• Nikka Whisky (Asahi Group): Major Japanese whisky producer owned by Asahi, with broad domestic and international distribution. Competes with Matsui in the same whisky category but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Suntory Spirits (House of Suntory): Japan's largest whisky producer with Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Hibiki. Direct whisky competitor with significantly larger global distribution and brand budgets; sets the premium benchmark against which Matsui's whiskies are judged.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/matsuiwhisky
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MatsuiWhisky
• Facebookfacebook.com/matsuiwhisky
• Instagraminstagram.com/matsuiwhisky
• TikToktiktok.com/@matsuiwhisky
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matsui-whisky

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 KURAYOSHI DISTILLERY