Nicknamed, "The Nose of Osaka", Shinjiro Torii is a true pioneer that paved the way to create Western-Style Liquors to suit the Japanese palate.

Shinjiro is Japan’s first Master Blender and the Father of Japanese Whisky.

But most importantly, what consistently drove Shinjiro was his desire to enrich the lives of the Japanese people with the spirit of Yatte Minahare – a never give up attitude for challenging market conventions and pioneering change.
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Born in Osaka on January 30th, 1879, 26 years after Commodore Mathew Perry first docked in Japan, Shinjiro grew up in the Meiji Period where Western culture and civilization began to influence Japan. Shinjiro was well known to be one of the early adopters of Western culture, known as “haikala” meaning aspiring to the “high collar” Western lifestyle as a symbol of modernity. Ending his schooling at age thirteen, Torii entered into an apprenticeship at Konishi Gisuke Shoten a pharmaceutical wholesaler in Osaka that also imported quality Western liquors. Shinjiro became fascinated with blending, spending most of his teen age years mastering techniques and developing both his nose and palate. By 1899, Shinjiro builds quite a reputation for himself, and opens his first business Torii Shoten in Osaka at the young age of twenty.

He began his business with the import of Spanish wines, but fails miserably as the authentic taste of Spanish wine is too robust and foreign for the Japanese public. This hard lesson costs Shinjiro his savings and convinces him to create his first original blend, fit for the palate of the Japanese people. He names his product Akadama (Red Circle) Port Wine in tribute to the land of the rising sun. He features a red circle on the wine label to symbolize the Sun as Shinjiro believed that “sun gives life to all beings”. With the huge success of the launch of the Akadama Port Wine in 1907, Shinjiro built his first plant, The Osaka Plant in 1919.

The success of Akadama Port Wine encourages Shinjiro to bet on his dream. A dream to create an original Japanese whisky blessed with the riches of Japanese Nature and Craftsmanship (Monozukuri). Despite the resistance of his family and colleagues, Shinjiro invests his whole fortune to start construction of Yamazaki Distillery – Japan’s first malt whisky distillery in1923. Through trial and error, Shinjiro finally succeeds in launching Suntory Whisky nicknamed Kakubin in 1937, what would later become the #1 selling Japanese whisky of all time - the proud origin of Japanese Whisky.

Japan was importing wines and whiskies from distant countries across the sea, but Shinjiro remained true to his lifelong dream that he would create spirits made with the riches of Japanese nature and craftsmanship (Monozukuri) that one day would surpass the quality levels of the Western spirits

Everything Shinjiro set out to do was new to Japan.
He introduced wine, whisky, gin, vodka and bitters to ordinary Japanese people who had never even heard of them before. He introduced a wide array of Western style spirits created specifically to suit the Japanese palate. Beyond liquid, he created rituals and experiences for the Japanese people to truly enjoy these novel spirits and nurtured Japan’s first community of bartenders. Shinjiro took the spirit of craftsmanship and made it a way of life.

Shinjiro had the dreams and pride of a true craftsman, and dedicated his life to creating good products, working untiringly and sparing no effort to consistently improve quality
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"You can advertise as much as you like, but it's no good if you don't have a good product. You can't be overconfident, and if your customers start to say you're all talk, it's over. You have to start by making a really good product."

Shinjiro was a demanding employer, insisting that his workers strive consistently to improve their skills and capabilities, but many anecdotes record how his kind and fatherly attitude could bring tears of joy to their eyes. To ensure that he remain true to his original ideals, and never let corporate bureaucracy get in the way Shinjiro encouraged his employees to call him Taisho (Chief) and not Shacho (President). Shinjiro was never content to just be a successful businessman, and always strove to enrich the lives of Japanese people. It was as early as 1921 when Shinjiro established the Hojukai – one of the first social welfare outreach organization of Japan that first started with the Imamiya Dispensary, a free clinic in the Airin district of Osaka City to assist people living in financial hardship.

Passionate, relentless, and tireless with a “no compromise, no shortcut” attitude is what sums up Shingo Torii. There are many stories of Shingo Torii, not approving liquid quality until he is perfectly confident that the liquid will be able to valorize the House’s award winning reputation based on their philosophy of “Heritage and Innovation”.

Shingo is definitely the man that put Suntory Whisky on the global map. He has continuously elevated the House in his pursuit for Harmonious blends that celebrate the riches of Japanese Nature and Craftsmanship – Monozukuri.Beyond his unrivalled success on the Japanese Whisky portfolio, Shingo continues to challenge market convention, bravely launching Suntory’s first-ever World Whisky.

Everything Shingo does epitomizes his commitment, enduring love and passion for the House of Suntory and its highest principles of Craftsmanship – Monozukuri. Shingo is a firm believer of “Monozukuri = Monogatari”, that the ultimate storytelling is always rooted in facts, celebrating real places, people and championing the underlying principles of craftsmanship that sets Suntory apart.

Shingo plays an integral role to ensure the integrity of Suntory Whisky today and for the future generations. It is a well known fact that Shingo’s own standards and benchmark for quality far exceed the industry regulations. Shingo is his own judge that consistently raises the quality standards for Suntory. Both the Artisanship & Diversity of Making, and the Art of Blending that Shingo established for the House are globally recognized standards that distinguish the House of Suntory as one of the most awarded distillers of the world.