The Gokunama dragon
Comments: 14
Kirin is one of Japan’s big beer brewing companies. They’ve recently released a new beer called Gokunama (Absolute Draught, or Really Draught!) whose billboard advertising consists only of a large blue rendering of the company logo (a mythological horse-dragon hybrid), and the name of the beer in big red roman lettering. I noticed the other day that the dragon contains the word Kirin in katakana (キリン) worked into the lines. It’s quite nicely done. Read on if you’re having trouble seeing it.
The first two characters are shown above. The third character appears in the beast’s tail. I don’t know if it appears in other versions of the logo: I’ll have to check next time I’m in a store that sells beer.
This is probably old news, of course. Sometimes it just takes me a little while (maybe it would help if I drank more beer?).
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Posted to General Rants • 2004.12.12 (Sun) • 00:27
Comments
Posted by tokyogoat 2004.12.12, 09:19
I believe they work the word KIRIN (in katakana) into all versions of their dragon images.
Posted by Matt 2004.12.12, 09:42
That is correct. The rule is, if you can still find the brand name on the label, you aren’t drunk enough.
(Incidentally, that beast in their logo is itself called a “kirin”. 麒麟.)
Posted by dr Dave 2004.12.12, 10:38
To add on Matt’s remark: the beast is indeed supposed to be a “kirin”, but not in its modern acception of “giraffe” (which is usually written in katakana afaik). 麒麟 (Qilin) come right after dragons in Chinese mythology, they look like a combination of ox (hooves), deer (antlers), horse (body), lion (tail) with some dragon stuff thrown in the mix… They were eventually imported in Japanese mythology were they took the first spot. Interestingly, quite in the same way the rhinoceros was mistaken for a unicorn by the first European travellers, it seems the giraffe looked close enough to a Kirin to share its name…
Posted by Funk 2004.12.12, 16:05
Well, I dunno much about japanese mythology, but I’ve just gotta chip in that Kirin Ichiban is definitely the greatest of beers.
Posted by Massimo Fiorentino 2004.12.14, 00:26
Yeah, Kirin is a very delightful beer! Even though I also enjoy an Asahi now & then. Anyone care to make any other recommendations i could dwell into (exports please)?
Posted by jh 2004.12.14, 01:25
I’m not a big beer drinker, but Orion (from Okinawa) is a pretty damned good hot summer’s day beer.
Posted by Rick 2004.12.14, 01:52
Hey thats a pretty interesting bit of trivia that I’ll have to check out next time. Too bad I’m drinking happo-shu right now to save me the 400 or so yen per 6-pack.
Massimo - What do you mean by exports? It’s kind of relative to where you’re writing from. Domestic Japanese beer? You might want to try Yebisu if your looking for a tasty beer. It’s at the pricier end for a big name Japanese beer but I can definitely taste a difference.
Posted by tokyo goat 2004.12.14, 09:37
I am a big believer in Sapporo (standard old black label)
Posted by Durf 2004.12.14, 16:07
If you can find Sapporo Lager (it’s kind of a reddish label) then get it and love it. I’ve only seen it in 633ml bottles. Great stuff. I’ll also plug this place in Ryogoku, which has great stuff on tap—domestic microbrews and great imports.
Posted by mister z 2004.12.16, 01:30
ya kirin ichiban is great. plenty of places to find it - on tap even - in Washington…
Posted by wwwilder 2004.12.21, 00:42
And, how was the Kirin name chosen?
The website would lead one to believe it is the mythological dragon which sired Confucius, but that’s just a cover-up for the real story.
Buried in the over 100-year-old lore of the founding of Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd is this:
Before there was beer in Japan, the founder of Kirin was just a university student. Being the proverbial nail that stuck out, he decided to go to England to learn English. Of course, he soon made friends who took him to the local pub and introduced him to the cheapest available alcoholic beverage, “giraffe” beer.
You know, whenever patrons wanted a fresh beer, they’d ask the barkeep for “another giraffe”. The young man, enamored with the frothy beverage, became determined to learn everything he could about it so that he could make it in Japan. When it came time to naming the beverage for the Japanese market, he looked giraffe up in his trusty E—>J dictionary, and what did he find? Kirin.
And, there you have it: the real story behind the origin of the Kirin name ;-)
Posted by bj 2005.03.11, 01:25
im doing a project on kirin, does anyone have any Kirin Lables from the bottle as Kirin isnt sold in Ireland
Posted by Yamada 2005.10.23, 18:34
This is wrong.
Kirin was founded in 1905 by a Norwegian sailor man calles William Kopeland. He was the first beer brewer in Japan. His Norwegian wife died before he went to Japan, and he named the company “Karin” after her. He re-married in Japan, and used several years to brew beer from rice. He finally succeeded to develop the “Norwegian” taste, but unfortunately, he was bankruptet. Some Japanese investors bought his brewery, and they renamed it from “Karin” to “Kirin”.
The story of how Kirin Brewery company was established is no secret, even though not widely known. The story is displayed at the Kirin head quarters, and visitors are guided through the hitory of Kirin.
William Kopeland became a famous person in his Norwegian hometown, Arendal, where the local brewery use this original story to promote their local brew.
Kirin is now one of the largest beer makers in the world, but their dominating position in the Japanese market ended when Asahi introduced their famous Super Dry brand. The rest is history.
Posted by Kim 2005.10.23, 18:55
Some corrections.
1) Yes, Kirin was established by a Norwegian guy, William Kopeland, but he changed his name from Kopeland to Copeland during a stay in America.
2) William Copeland was the first person to brew beer in Japan in 1870. The Kirin brew company was founded by taking over his factory, and Mr Copeland died a poor man.
Some links:
Kirin history
Advertising museum
William Copeland’s life
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