About Suntory's "Hibiki Crest"

The unique mark used by Suntory's "HIBIKI Whisky" is sometimes called the "Hibiki Mark" or "Flower Mark," and is commonly known as the "Hibiki Crest" in English-speaking countries. This mark was commissioned by Suntory to artist Takenobu Igarashi in 1986, and was originally designed as corporate art for Suntory Hall.

This design combines the Suntory Lion Crest and the kanji for "Hibiki" (resonance), and was later used as Suntory's corporate logo from 1991 to 2004. This mark is an important element of Suntory's brand identity, and represents Japanese aesthetics and craftsmanship. For this reason, it is known in English-speaking countries as the "Hibiki Crest" and is widely known as the iconic design of Suntory's premium whiskey, "Hibiki."

This mark is a pictograph of the kanji character "hibiki" (resonance), which means vibration, trembling, waves, or vibration, and seems to represent the whisky culture that Suntory Whisky aims to create.

As a lifestyle and culture company that provides content that resonates with people's hearts, Suntory wants each employee to demonstrate their individuality, resonate with many different people, and feel the same way with people all over the world. It also represents the company's determination to maintain this resonance with these sparkling people even as it expands its business. It is also said that this mark was created based on the appearance of an orchestra hall. It is similar to the arrangement of the stage and audience in a hall where music resonates.

In other words, the mark was not just used for Hibiki Whisky, but was used for all Suntory whiskies as a symbol of Suntory's craftsmanship and ambition.

▲The mark used until March 1990 (left) and the mark used from April 1990 onwards (right)

The image above is the mark printed on the label of Yamazaki whiskey that was distributed in the 1990s.

This mark was changed from the old mark to the new mark on April 1, 1990. In the case of Yamazaki 12 Year Old Pure Malt Single Malt Whisky, the new mark was mainly used on bottles distributed in the mid-1990s, but the slight difference between the time the mark was used and the time the stock bottles were distributed is believed to be due to a time difference in distribution.

It is useful to remember this mark, as its shape and presence serve as a common standard for determining the production period of whiskey released by Suntory.