NEWS
SUNTORY WILL HIKE PRICES BY 2 TO 20% FROM 1 APRIL DUE TO COSTS INFLATION
By Staff Reporter
10-3-2026
Source: Suntory Holdings
Japanese drinks giant Suntory Group has announced a sweeping price increase across its core alcoholic beverage products, including iconic Japanese whiskies, imported wines and shochu, set to take effect on 1 April 2026.
The move, driven by persistent economic headwinds in Japan and global supply chain pressures, marks one of the most substantial price adjustments for the company’s premium spirits portfolio in recent years, sending ripples across Asia’s wine and spirits market.
The price revision impacts a total of 39 brands and 187 labels in Japan’s domestic market, focusing on Suntory’s high-profile Japanese whisky lines, namely Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki, alongside shochu and a selection of imported wine products.
According to the company’s official announcement, the price hikes vary by product, with premium aged expressions seeing the steepest increases, while entry-level offerings face more moderate rises.
Notable price adjustments include the Hibiki 700ml blend, which will jump from ¥7,500 to ¥8,000 per bottle, a 6.7 percent uplift.
For ultra-premium offerings, the price surge is far more pronounced: Yamazaki 25 Year Old, Hakushu 25 Year Old and Hibiki 30 Year Old will each see a ¥60,500 price increase per bottle, representing a 15.3 percent rise, pushing their post-tax retail price to ¥456,500.
Mid-tier aged expressions such as Yamazaki 18 Year Old, Hakushu 18 Year Old and Hibiki 25 Year Old will see a ¥6,600 per bottle increase, a 10.9 percent hike. Imported wines and mainstream shochu products face price rises ranging from 2 to 10 percent.
In a formal statement, Suntory attributed the price hike to multifaceted economic challenges that have significantly eroded profit margins.
The persistent weakness of the Japanese yen against major global currencies has driven up costs for imported raw materials, packaging and logistics, while domestic manufacturing and labour costs have continued to climb.
The company emphasised that it had long absorbed these elevated costs through internal operational efficiencies, but sustained inflationary pressures left it with no viable alternative but to adjust retail prices to maintain product quality and sustainable business operations.
Suntory also clarified that the price revisions appl y to Japan’s domestic recommended retail prices, and it will work closely with regional distributors across Asia to assess potential pricing adjustments in international markets.
The company reaffirmed its commitment to preserving the craftsmanship and quality of its products, stating that the price changes are necessary to uphold its long-standing brand standards amid ongoing economic volatility.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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