Photo: SoraNews24
business

Sake brand Dassai increases workers’ starting pay by over 40%, pledges to double salaries

15 Comments
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24

Asahi Shuzo, the brewer that produces Dassai, one of Japan’s most popular sake brands, does things a little differently. For example, they’re the company that took out full-page newspaper ads to formally request that customers not pay high prices for their products.

That doesn’t mean that Asahi Shuzo itself is tightfisted, though. On Feb 17, the company announced a change to its hiring practices, under which it will be increasing the starting pay for new employees by more than 40 percent, translating to an increase of 90,000 yen a month.

Like many Japanese companies, Asahi Shuzo offers a standard contract to new hires who have just graduated from college. Previously, the monthly salary for this contract was 210,000 yen, but starting with the company’s 2022 fiscal year (which begins in the spring), the monthly salary is being bumped up to 300,000 yen.

A starting pay of around 200,000 is fairly common for new college graduates in Japan, where salaries are routinely supplemented by commuting allowances and many companies also provide housing allowances and twice-a-year bonuses. With Asahi Shuzo located in the relatively rural town of Iwakuni, an extra 90,000 yen a month should be more than adequate for a rather nice single’s apartment.

What’s more, this is just the first of multiple increases to worker compensation to come, as Asahi Shuzo’s plan is to double worker salaries within the next five years. “We take pride in the members of our production team, who play a central role in the quality of Dassai,” says Asahi Shuzo, “and we want to create an environment where we can continue to pursue ways to create delicious sake.”

In addition to taking care of its workers, Asahi Shuzo has been expanding its scope with partnerships like the Mos Burger Dassai milkshake and Dassai matcha truffles. The brand is also seeing increasing popularity outside Japan, with last September being the first time for Asahi Shuzo’s overseas sales to surpass domestic demand, and the company is looking to create a new brewery to focus on high-end sake as well.

Source: Shokuhin Sangyo Shimbunsha via Otakomu

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Dassai sake matcha truffles bring two esteemed Japanese companies together for limited time

-- Japan’s most popular sake brand runs full-page ad asking people to stop paying so much for it

-- Dassai sake matcha truffles bring two esteemed Japanese companies together for limited time

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

15 Comments
Login to comment

That is totally unexpected. Can’t complain about that. I raise my glass of bourbon to this company.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Wow! That is really a nice increase of salary.

They even aim to double the salary.

Very good.

But in my opinion Dassai Sake is a little bit overated and overpriced.

It is a good one, but there are many much better tasting and cheaper Sake available.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

The brand is also seeing increasing popularity outside Japan, with last September being the first time for Asahi Shuzo’s overseas sales to surpass domestic demand, and the company is looking to create a new brewery to focus on high-end sake as well.

Thank the pandemic, people are drinking more at home and demand is up.

And thank the company for being one of the very rare ones to pass along the fruits of their labor to their workers.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Wow, maybe Jeff Bezos can follow suit now.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Probably works out to be quite cheap considering the free advertising and publicity this has gained. Doesn't say how many employees get the increase, probably not many, its a small company. Also doesn't say if the pay increase was at the cost of allowances being cut or removed.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

What they don't mention is that, like most companies in Japan, more than half the workers are supplied by dispatch companies, who do not fall under this pay-raise umbrella. Trebles all round!

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

Wow, maybe Jeff Bezos can follow suit now.

Not fond of Bezos or Amazon as an employer at all but Amazon's minimum wage in the US is 15 USD an hour which amounts to already 300000 JPY a month with the current rate. Japanese companies pay less than this without overtime to their full time employees in their first few years. I was getting the same starting salary of 200000 JPY a month 10 years ago and it seems like nothing has changed.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

A toast to them. Now, please talk to my company's president.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

David BrentToday  08:33 am JST

What they don't mention is that, like most companies in Japan, more than half the workers are supplied by dispatch companies, who do not fall under this pay-raise umbrella. 

Given the post from zichi above, is this just speculation on your part or a hard fact? If factual then where did the information come from?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Plus, you should mention that although they are 12th in terms of volume on a national level, Dassai is by far the N°1 employer in the Japanese sake industry AND still hiring.

https://www.asahishuzo.ne.jp/en/news/info/005050.html

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Good move for 獺祭 (Dassai)and I do like their sake as well. However most Japanese companies and especially slave driver organizations like 派遣会社HakenGaishya will think its ダサい。

1 ( +4 / -3 )

as we are saying "arrival one swallow is not equal to spring yet"...

thumbs up to this guy as it seems he is very rare and exceptional boss in Japan.

good luck with sales as well.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

On trend. Move this needle.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites