This document has been prepared in accordance with accounting principles and practices generally accepted in Japan, and translated for reference only from the original Japanese version. The Company gives no warranty with respect to its correctness.
The original disclosure in Japanese was released on January 11, 2023 at 13:00 (GMT+9)
Takara Holdings Inc.
Notice Regarding Investment in Sake Startup WAKAZE Inc.
Takara Holdings Inc. hereby announces that it has invested in WAKAZE Inc. (“WAKAZE”) by subscribing to part of third-party allotment of shares by WAKAZE, a startup that has a brewery in Paris, France and manufactures and sells innovative sake and other alcoholic beverages prepared with 100% French ingredients.
1. Overview of WAKAZE
Founded in 2016 in Japan, WAKAZE established its sake brewery KURA GRAND PARIS in the suburbs of Paris, France in 2019. While respecting the traditional methods of sake making, WAKAZE adopts French food culture and trends and makes sake that meets local needs. Based on the brewing recipes for a diverse range of sake that harmonize with French food culture, it makes sake around the world and aims to establish sake as a culture through digital marketing and other means to increase contact points with consumers.
2. Reason for investment
WAKAZE has the vision of turning Japanese sake into a worldwide alcoholic drink, which resonates with “Bringing Japanese food and drink culture to the world,” one of the business missions of the Takara Group.
In recent years, craft sake breweries (microbreweries) have been increasing globally, where innovative sake*１tailored to a locality and its food culture is made beyond the framework of conventional sake. The Takara Group intends to strengthen the development of innovative sake, based on the understanding that products that meet local needs and expand the sphere of washu (Japanese traditional alcoholic beverages) are necessary to further spread washu across the world. Through the investment in and collaboration with WAKAZE, we aim to create new appeal and value of washu by combining the sphere of traditional washu*2 making, which is our conventional strength, with the sphere of innovative sake making, which is WAKAZE’s strength. To accelerate the spread of washu across the world, we will not only engage in joint sake making but also enhance information dissemination to the world and expand sales channels by taking advantage of the Takara Group’s overseas Japanese food wholesaler network.
The Takara Group will promote Japanese food culture to the world and aim to be a global market leader in washu and Japanese food.
*1 Innovative sake: Innovative Japanese alcoholic beverage that expands the sphere of conventional washu
*2 Traditional washu: Sake that meets the standards set forth in the Liquor Tax Act of Japan
