Suntory Logo

Suntory is a Japanese alcoholic beverages manufacturer, as well as distillery. Unlike many specifically Japanese breweries, Suntory doesn’t just make sake. Their primary line of work is various wines, as well as whisky and other strong beverages, owing to their extensive contact with international breweries.

Meaning and History

The company was founded in 1899 in Osaka, where it sold wine imported from abroad. Before the 60s, they had a different name. In 1963, however, it was changed to Suntory – a combination of the words ‘Sun’ (English) and ‘Torii’ – the surname of the company’s founder.

???? – ????

Sometimes, it’s hard to estimate when the logo entered service and left it with the Japanese companies. Sometime in the 20th century, they used an emblem that said ‘Suntory Water Company’ in a black, tilted font. The first word was above the rest, much thicker and more elegant than the others.
By comparison, the two words below are just the usual typographic style. Below these two are twin black waves – the element that tells you of the company’s nature as a water-related company.

1990 – 2005

The first universal Suntory logo was just the word ‘Suntory’ written in black letters. The typeface featured thin, fluid letters with a touch of serif. The intervals between the letters varied, but they would generally be close to one another. They were all uppercase and quite sophisticated.

2005 – today

By comparison, the newer 2005 logo was all in lowercase and less elegant. The typeface was very similar, but it was now thicker and colored light blue. As the bosses say, it’s supposed to signify the water, which is very crucial for their business.

Emblem and Symbol

The logo on the label is usually portrayed just like it’s supposed to be – maybe just with a slightly different color. At times, they use a different style. For instance, for a celebrated ‘Suntory Whisky’, they use an old-fashioned Gothic style of writing with capital letters colored bright red.