Who owns Yamazaki?
Yamazaki is owned by Suntory (Japan).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: Suntory Holdings — our brands, Suntory Holdings Limited. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Suntory Holdings Limited reported
- Owner HQ
- 🇯🇵 Japan, Osaka
- Origin
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- Founded
- 1923
- Category
- Beverages › Spirits › Whisky & bourbon
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About Yamazaki
Yamazaki is Japan's first malt whisky distillery, opened in 1923 between Kyoto and Osaka at a site chosen for its water, where three rivers converge. Japanese whisky was little regarded outside Japan until its single malts began winning international awards in the 2000s, after which stocks of aged whisky ran short.
Ownership timeline of Yamazaki
Where Yamazaki sits in Suntory
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Suntory ownership tree →
See the full Suntory brand portfolio (8) →
Other brands owned by Suntory
Suntory controls 8 brands on Brandtree, 8 of them in beverages.
Also in beverages
Other brands in whisky & bourbon, and who owns them
The 71 brands in whisky & bourbon on Brandtree belong to 26 owners. The largest is Diageo, with 9; Suntory has 4.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Buchanan's | Diageo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| Black Velvet | Heaven Hill | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Blood Oath | MGP | 🇺🇸 United States |
| anCnoc | ThaiBev | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| Jura | Emperador | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
| Glenfiddich | William Grant & Sons | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| Jack Daniel's | Brown-Forman | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Highland Park | Edrington | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
About the owner: Suntory
Suntory is a privately held company headquartered in Osaka, Japan, founded in 1899. Brandtree records 8 brands under its control.
Suntory was founded in Osaka in 1899 and pioneered Japanese whisky at the Yamazaki distillery from 1923. The holding company is unlisted and controlled by the Kotobuki foundation associated with the founding Torii family; its 2014 purchase of Beam made it one of the largest spirits groups in the world.
🇯🇵 Yamazaki and other Japanese brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 448 brands that began in Japan. 22 of them (5%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Yamazaki is not one of them.
- Aquarius — Coca-Cola 🇺🇸
- Asahi Super Dry — Asahi Group 🇯🇵
- Blendy — Ajinomoto 🇯🇵
- Café au Lait — Glico 🇯🇵
- Gogo no Kocha — Kirin 🇯🇵
- ITO EN Matcha Green Tea — ITO EN 🇯🇵
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Yamazaki?
The parent company of Yamazaki is Suntory, a privately held company headquartered in Japan.
Is Yamazaki Japanese?
Yes. Yamazaki originated in Japan in 1923 and its owner, Suntory, is also headquartered in Japan.
Is Yamazaki still owned by Suntory?
Yes. As of 16 September 2026, Yamazaki is still owned by Suntory. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Suntory Holdings — our brands — Suntory Holdings Limited, Official document; retrieved 16 September 2026.
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