Kirin Holdings Company, Limited, the Japanese parent of the Kirin Group, adopted a new corporate identity (CI) in February 2019 that placed the mythological “Seiju Kirin” (sacred beast) creature alongside the “KIRIN” wordmark. The new CI was introduced alongside the corporate slogan “Joy brings us together” (“Yorokobi ga tsunagu sekai e” in Japanese), redefining the sacred beast as the group’s symbol and as a bearer of happiness and joy.[1]
Design and History
The Kirin visual identity traces its origins to 1888, when Japan Brewery Company (JBC), the predecessor of Kirin Brewery, launched a beer named “Kirin Beer.” The label featured the kirin, a creature from ancient Chinese legend. According to the company, Mitsubishi executive Heigoro Soda proposed using the kirin as a trademark, noting that imported Western beers commonly used animals such as wolves and cats on their labels, and suggesting that the East had its own mythical beast worth adopting.[1]
The following year, in 1889, JBC director Thomas Blake Glover proposed changing the label to feature the kirin more prominently, creating the design that remains the basis of the current Kirin Lager Beer label. The artwork is attributed to lacquer artist Shisui Rokkaku, though the company notes that no documentary evidence confirms this attribution.[1][2]
In 1983, the company introduced the concept of corporate identity, with the “KIRIN” lettering serving as the CI and the sacred beast treated as a character. In February 2019, alongside the announcement of the long-term management vision “Kirin Group Vision 2027” and the new corporate slogan, the group redefined the sacred beast as its symbol and established a new CI featuring the beast alongside the wordmark. The new CI was applied to news releases, the corporate website, signage at the group’s headquarters in Nakano, Tokyo, and the company seal, which changed from the “KIRIN” lettering to the sacred beast design.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The kirin is a legendary creature from Chinese tradition, described in historical texts as having the body of a deer, the tail of an ox, and a single horn. It is regarded as a benevolent beast that does not step on living insects or break growing grass, and it is said to appear as a harbinger of auspicious events. The Kirin Group has defined the sacred beast as a symbol that “brings happiness and is with joy,” using it to strengthen the group’s image of trust, tradition, and dynamism.[1]
The Kirin Group’s English-language corporate site describes the kirin as “a revered mythological creature and symbol of the eternal chain of happiness and good luck.”[4]
An often-noted detail of the sacred beast illustration is the presence of hidden characters within the mane and tail. The Japanese characters “ki,” “ri,” and “n” can be found hidden in the design, and they appear on labels dating back to at least 1933. The company states that the reason for the hidden characters is unknown, with theories ranging from counterfeit prevention to a designer’s playful touch.[1][2]
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