Japan Brewery, predecessor of Kirin, founded in Yokohama

Background. Yokohama developed as a major base for foreign trade following the opening of ports in the 1850s. The city's international character, with foreign residents concentrated in areas like Kannai and The Bluff, provided the commercial environment for brewing enterprises. The Spring Valley Brewery, founded in Yokohama in 1869 by Norwegian-American brewer William Copeland, served as the direct predecessor to the Japan Brewery Company.

Founding and Incorporation. The Japan Brewery Company was established in 1885 by William Henry Talbot and Edgar Abbott. It acquired the assets of the earlier Spring Valley Brewery. In a deal brokered by Thomas Blake Glover, the company was incorporated in Hong Kong in the name of W. H. Talbot and E. H. Abbott, with financial backing provided by a group of Japanese investors including Iwasaki Yanosuke, then-president of Mitsubishi. This structure reflected the international business networks active in Yokohama during the period.

Early Operations. The Japan Brewery began marketing Kirin Beer in 1888. Production relied on malted grains and hops imported from Germany, with German brewers overseeing the process. The company maintained an exclusive partnership with Meidi-ya for marketing. By 1907, the firm was run almost entirely by Japanese personnel and was incorporated as the Kirin Brewery Company, marking the transition from its foreign-founded origins.