News
Announcement of New President
June 23, 2025
KIRISHIMA HOLDINGS CO., LTD. and KIRISHIMA SHUZO CO., LTD. are transitioning to a new management structure as of June 21, 2025, and we are pleased to announce that Kunitake Enatsu has been appointed as the fourth President and CEO. As a result, Yoriyuki Yoriyuki Enatsu, who was President and CEO has become chairman and representative director, and Takuzo Enatsu who was the senior managing director and representative director, has become an advisor.
| full name | new job | old job |
|---|---|---|
| Kunitake Enatsu | President and CEO | Director and Head of Business Planning Department |
| Yoriyuki Enatsu | Chairman and Representative Director | President and CEO |
| Takuzo Enatsu | Advisor | Managing Director |
Yoriyuki Enatsu has served as President and CEO for 29 years since 1996. With this change in president KIRISHIMA HOLDINGS CO., LTD. and KIRISHIMA SHUZO CO., LTD. will, under the new leadership, further focus on their core honkaku shochu business and work together with the next generation of employees to achieve further growth and fulfill their social mission as a company rooted in the local community.
■ Message from the new President and CEO Kunitake Enatsu
Kirishima Shuzo will celebrate its 110th anniversary in 2026. Since its founding, Headquarters has been based in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture, and has continued to operate honkaku shochu business. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our loyal customers, as well as to the local community and other related parties who have supported our company to date.
During the 29 years that our previous president, Yoriyuki Enatsu, and our senior managing director, Takuzo Enatsu, served as our representatives, our flagship products, "Kuro Kirishima" and "Aka Kirishima," were released, and are now enjoyed by customers all over Japan. However, in recent years, the honkaku shochu market has been shrinking, and we are facing challenges such as the outbreak of disease in the sweet potatoes used as the raw material and the soaring price of the raw rice.
As the fourth-generation president, I will first focus even more on our core honkaku shochu business in order to resolve these issues and achieve further growth, and work to increase the value of honkaku shochu both domestically and overseas. In addition, by further deepening our unique activities in the areas of social issues such as agriculture and the environment, such as the "Imo-Terasu" sweet potato seedling production center and the "shochu lees recycling system," which were developed in the course of our honkaku shochu business, we will more than ever fulfill the social mission expected of us as a company rooted in the local community.
We will inherit the unique value of Kirishima Shuzo that our predecessors built, and as employees of the next generation, we will work together to do our utmost to further enhance that value. We hope for your continued support.
■ Biography
| March 1977 | Born in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture |
|---|---|
| March 1999 | Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science, Keio University |
| October 2001 | Joined KIRISHIMA SHUZO CO., LTD. and assigned to the Planning Department |
| April 2006 | Assigned to the manufacturing department |
| April 2008 | Assigned to the Sales Department |
| April 2009 | Assigned to Fukuoka Branch the Sales Department |
| April 2012 | Assigned to Tokyo Branch of the Sales Department |
| October 2013 | Assigned to the Business Planning Department of the same company |
| April 2015 | KIRISHIMA HOLDINGS CO., LTD. Business Planning Department |
| June 2016 | Appointed General Manager of the Business Planning Department KIRISHIMA HOLDINGS CO., LTD. Appointed as Director of KIRISHIMA HOLDINGS CO., LTD. Appointed as Director of KIRISHIMA SHUZO CO., LTD. |
| June 2025 | Appointed President and CEO KIRISHIMA HOLDINGS CO., LTD. Appointed President and CEO KIRISHIMA SHUZO CO., LTD. |
■ Company Profile
KIRISHIMA SHUZO CO., LTD., Ltd. is a honkaku shochu manufacturer Headquarters in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture, founded in 1916. Their flagship product is "Kuro Kirishima," and we make shochu with respect for the local area and nature, using 100% Kyushu-grown sweet potatoes, 100% Kirishima Rekka Water, groundwater from the Miyakonojo Basin, 100% domestic Shochu, and 100% produced in our own factory in Miyakonojo City.
| Founded | May 1916 (Currently KIRISHIMA HOLDINGS CO., LTD.) |
|---|---|
| Established | March 2014 (*1) |
| Founder | Kichisuke Enatsu |
| Representative | President and CEO Kunitake Enatsu |
| capital | 3 million yen (※2) |
| Number of employees | 642 people (full-time employees only) (as of April 2025) |
| Business | honkaku shochu production and sales Craft beer production and sales, restaurant business |
- 1: The company name was changed on April 1, 2015 due to the transition to Holding company system.
- 2: KIRISHIMA SHUZO CO., LTD. only. Parent company Kirishima Holdings Co., Ltd. is 38.89 million yen.
