Yomeishu Seizo Company
Yomeishu Seizo, Co., Ltd. (養命酒製造株式会社) is a pharmaceutical manufacturing company. It is headquartered in SHIBUYA-KU, Tokyo. It manufactures and sells a traditional medicated liquor called "Yomeishu" and was founded on June 20, 1923. The Yomeishu-related segment is involved in the provision of Yomeishu and the manufacturing and sale of mineral supplements, as well as other derived beverage and food products.
History of the company
- 1602 - Sokan Shiozawa (塩澤宗閑), the head of the Shiozawa family started the production of "Yomeishu (養命酒)" in Nakagawa village, Nagano prefecture.
- 1603 - "Yomeishu" was presented to the Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa at the opening of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Yomeishu was licensed as a medicine for treating many kinds of diseases "(天下御免万病養命酒)" and was permitted to claim efficacy; the claim is still allowed. "Flying Dragon (飛龍: Hiryu)" Being the first registered trademark in Japan.
- 1923 - Established the former stock company Tenryu-kan (renamed to Nitoya Daiichi Plant, the first factory) as the predecessor to Minakatamura Village in Nagano Prefecture presently called Nakagawa-mura, Kamiina-gun, Nagano Prefecture. Capital value was valued at of 500,000 yen. The Shiozawa Family organized a company and inherited the Yomeishu business where their ancestors had been doing for hundreds of years.
- 1925 - Opening of branch offices in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo then later a branch in Tenryu-kan Tokyo making three total branches opened.
- 1951 - Establishment of the second factory (renamed Okaya factory) on the edge of Okaya City, Nagano prefecture, Nakagawa village that became its headquarters; this was the first factory there. This factory later had shifted to pickle production. The company was renamed Yomeishu Seizo Company Ltd.
- 1953 - Kansai branch opened in Uji City, in Kyoto Prefecture. Kansai Branch later moved to Kyoto City, and also to Fukushima-ku, Osaka City in 1971, renamed Osaka Branch.
- 1955 - Stocks were listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
- 1956 - Relocation to headquarters to Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, where it can be found today.
- 1957 - Fukuoka Sales Office branch opened in Fukuoka city.
- 1958 - Established as a Sendai branch office, later renamed as a Sendai Sales Office in Sendai city.
- 1961 - Saitama factory opened in Tsurugashima village, Saitama prefecture, presently named Tsurugashima city. The stock then was updated and now being listed on the Nagoya Stock Exchange too.
- 1962 - Nagoya branch opened in the city of Nagoya city.
- 1964 - Opening of the Technical Research Institute in Okaya-shi. This institute was later moved to Minowa-cho, Kamiina-gun, Nagano Prefecture, also renamed the Central Research Institute.
- 1972 - Newly established Komagane factory in Komagane city, Nagano prefecture. Okaya plant was abolished accordingly. Refurbish the Sake Brewery of this then the primary factory into a museum, under the management of the Komagane factory primary factory.
- 1982 - Release "Kajo-Hon-Mirin (家醸本みりん)".
- 1989 - Completion of headquarters office building.
- 2002 - Natural mineral water marketed as "Isahara" and then renamed, "Yomei" water was released for the public to buy.
- 2004 - Net capital rose to over 630 million yen as of October 2004; staff roll reached 600 employees.
- 2005 - Business collaboration announcement with Taisho Pharmaceutical.
- 2009 - Discontinued sales of liquor store route of "Yomeishu" production of liquor for 2009 being unified with for sales as pharmaceuticals, [...] stores. An announcement released a nutritional drink "Re: on" had been renamed to "Rion", and adding "Herb Plus" from their co-developed with "Taisho Pharmaceutical."
- 2010 - Launched liqueur "Herb-Nomegumi." Opened "Kurosawa", a healthy lifestyle promoting new facilities complex in Suwa-city, Nagano Prefecture.
- 2013 - Dismantlement of the first factory, on the original site at Yomeishu, due to its aging condition. A stone monument was engraved with "The Birthplace of Yomeishu", and a sake distillery, which was renovated, is currently a museum.
Yomeishu
Yomeishu is a traditional Japanese medicinal liquor. Dating back to 1602 it is considered to be the oldest pharmaceutical product of Japan.
According to legend, the manufacturer of Yomeishu, Sokan Shiozawa, a village headman of Shinshu Ina-gun Ogusa area (now Nagano Prefecture Kamiina-gun Nakagawa village Ogusa), rescued an old man who had fallen in the snow. The old man later became a retainer of the Shiozawa family for three years. Before leaving, he taught Sokan Shiozawa how to make medicinal sake as a way of expressing appreciation.
Production started in 1602 under the name "Yomeishu." In 1603, it was presented to the Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu and at that time Shiozawa was permitted to use the sign of "Flying Dragon (飛龍: Hiryu)," said to be the first Registered Trademark in Japan.
Ako Roshi (the main character in the story of Forty-seven Ronin, Chūshingura) is said to have drank Yomeishu. It also appears in the 1774 novel Anecdote of Foreign Country Wasobyoje.
The drink was manufactured at the Tenryu-kan of the Shiozawa clan for hundreds of years. In 1923, the family formed the Yomeishu Seizo Company and experienced commercial success by working with wholesalers in Tokyo. Sales later declined amidst negative reviews but by 1963 they had reached eighty times that of the company's launch year.
Post World War II, Yomeishu was promoted in cartoon magazines as a nourishing tonic for children.
See also
- Koichi Shiozawa (Founder) (塩澤幸一)