【Videos】Interview with Kirin Holdings President Takeshi Minakata : Where the Long-Term Vision Innovate2035! Stands Today

Where the Long-Term Vision "Innovate 2035!" Stands Today

The Kirin Group formulated its Long-Term Vision Innovate2035! in February 2026. About nine months have passed since then. How do you see where things stand today?

Innovate2035! shares the company vision with our employees: “This is the direction the Kirin Group is heading in.” Toward 2035, we want the Kirin Group to become a company that vitalizes the world even more. To do that, we must keep innovating. That is the idea behind Innovate2035!.

With Kirin Group Vision 2027, formulated in 2019, we established Health Science Business as the third pillar of our business, along with Alcoholic Beverages, Non-alcoholic Beverages and Pharmaceuticals. In 2026, our discussion turned to a bigger question: what will it take to make those three pillars strong enough to support the Kirin Group over the next decade?

Through a series of candid discussions, we concluded that people and technology are the most important drivers of innovation. Strong businesses alone are not enough.
That is why we set our goal as: Become a group that vitalizes the world through innovation by our people and technology, as a global leader in CSV.

Nine months have passed since the vision was formulated. Measured against where I hoped to have reached by this point in the year, I think we have come close to that level.

Theme 01: Dialogue Sessions with employees: Reflections and Issues

①Practice the KIRIN WAY

To cultivate a culture of transformation, you have visited the front lines and talked directly with the employees. Mr. Minakata, you are dedicated to the front lines (“Gemba”), aren’t you?

In Innovate2035!, we established the KIRIN WAY—three Values and six Principles—as Group-wide guidelines for putting innovation into practice.

Since then, employees have begun to share their progress, such as: “This is what I’m mindful of in my daily work,” “This is how I put it into practice,” or “Inspired by the KIRIN WAY, I’ve changed how I work.” I find it both gratifying and reassuring that this kind of communication is happening so naturally.

Among the six Principles, the one I  emphasize most often is “Go to ‘Gemba.’” In simple terms, it means going to the front lines, where actual operations take place, and seeing what is really happening for yourself.
Our employees in Japan and overseas use this phrase “Go to ‘Gemba’.”

As we advance globalization, I believe everyone should keep in mind the shared Values and Principles in the Kirin Group. I want people who resonate with them to join us, and I hope they will work with us in the KIRIN WAY.

To achieve that, I believe that our leaders should fully understand the KIRIN WAY and speak passionately about it to their team members.

②The Kirin Group Needs Individuals’ Strength Going Forward

What are the strengths and issues of Kirin’s corporate culture?

I often hear from people who joined us mid-career that Kirin’s friendly culture contributes to very good teamwork. On the other hand, they talk about challenges such as “Each person should show commitment to pursue their jobs.” In other words, the company could demand more personal growth in the employees.

Of course, winning as a team is important. But to achieve that, each employee has to grow tougher and stronger. I have heard internally that we should pay attention to people who value and maintain their individuality, and I find myself agreeing. Perhaps we are still a little behind in some respects.

I think valuing harmony (“wa”) is in itself one of Kirin’s strengths. But being too concerned about harmony will create an environment that stops people from standing out. It’s fine to be difficult sometimes. Innovation occurs more frequently when people with all kinds of sharp ideas come together. If everyone is the same, no chemical reaction will occur.

Teamwork and the individuals’ strength—we need both. That is exactly why I believe Kirin must strengthen and value our employees’ individuality even more.

③How I Have Changed Through the Dialogue Sessions

Have you noticed any changes in yourself as you have held these dialogue sessions so far?

Through the dialogue sessions, I am putting this very “Go to ‘Gemba’” into practice. I sit with employees in Japan and around the world and listen to their work status and the challenges they face. I learn a great deal from them, and I have increased time spent listening far more than I used to. By listening to the employees, I am sometimes encouraged and energized, and I am always excited to have such sessions.
On site, I also get opportunities to meet customers, and it is extremely useful to hear candid views of the Kirin Group from them.

I bring back the information I gain from the dialogue sessions and visiting sites, and I make sure to feed back the important points as management issues. This way, my concerns are quickly shared as management issues, speedier than before.

Theme 02: Building an Organization Where People Take on New Challenges

What does it take to build an organization where people are willing to take on new challenges? It is easy to talk about “taking on challenges,” but putting that into practice is not always easy.

I believe that innovations are small changes such as the accumulation of daily experience, small improvements, and steady changes—“I did it this way today but I will try it that way tomorrow.” So, I want every employee to see themselves as someone who can drive innovation through their everyday work, which, I believe, will ultimately become challenges.

Innovation is not something that someone, somewhere, will create for us. Unless employees act, our company will not change. I want the employees to think their own actions will lead to new growth in the future. What matters is how strong a sense of ownership employees can have.  To use a baseball analogy, batting average matters, but so does how often you step up to the plate. I want people to focus not only on succeeding, but on creating more opportunities to try. I want the employees to think like that.

I also want them to pay attention to the world outside. Especially, if they tend to become inward-looking in daily work, make time to get out and go to the front lines, listen to customers directly, and see  for themselves how consumers behave in real-life settings. If they consciously go out more and more, their thinking and mindset will change, and as a result it will lead to new challenges.

Have courage. It’s fine if things don’t go perfectly. What matters is learning from the experience and applying that learning next time. That thinking is also embedded in the KIRIN WAY this time.

Of course, nothing beats good results. But we also recognize the value of stepping forward and gaining first-hand experience.  We have reflected that thinking in our evaluation system by placing greater emphasis on both intent and action.  I want us to become more accepting of setbacks, learn from them, and encourage people to keep trying.

Theme 03: Thoughts Behind the Kirin Group Value “Pioneer with Innovation”

Innovate2035! sets out three Values: “Pioneer with Innovation,” “Consumer/Patient at Heart,” and “Quality in Mind.” I hear you have a special attachment to “Pioneer with Innovation” in particular. What meaning is packed into that term?

We need to anticipate where the world is heading and keep taking on new challenges, including ideas that no one has tried before. Many attempts may not succeed, but some can grow into something truly significant. That is the spirit I want us to keep pursuing.

Our role is to identify emerging societal challenges before they become obvious. By imagining how people may live in the future, we can think ahead and propose products and services that create new value in their lives.

For me, that is what “Pioneer with Innovation” means: going beyond what consumers expect and proposing what comes next.

Theme 04: The Kirin Group’s vision for 2035

In 2035, when Innovate2035! has been realized, how would you like the Kirin Group to be viewed by society?

We are now substantially changing our business portfolio, aiming to build the company firmly supported by three pillars: Alcoholic Beverages, Non-alcoholic Beverages & Health Science, and Pharmaceuticals.  My hope is that, by 2035, people will see Kirin as a company that is present in many different parts of their lives. They might say, “I didn’t know Kirin did that, too,” or “Kirin is always coming up with something new.” Maybe even, with a smile, “Kirin certainly has a lot to say!”

We want our products and services to be part of people’s everyday lives and to be there in moments that bring happiness and fulfillment. As well-being becomes increasingly important to society, I believe one of the Kirin Group’s goals is to contribute to people’s well-being through the diverse products and services we offer.

Ultimately, it comes down to our corporate philosophy “KIRIN brings joy to society” We want to stay close to people’s daily life and hear them say, “I’m glad Kirin is part of my life,” or “Every day is a little better because Kirin is there.”