

Matazaemon Nakano II
1791-1860 (Aged 69)

INTRODUCTION
Matazaemon II called himself "Suya (vinegar shop) Kanjiro" and transformed the main business from sake brewing to vinegar making.
Using his own initiative, he succeeded in developing a rich, original, high-quality vinegar, establishing a solid base in the Edo (Tokyo) market.


Tazo took on the name Matazaemon II in 1816. At the request of his predecessor, he devoted himself to making vinegar from the very beginning. Matazaemon II responded to expectations by substantially increasing the production and sales of sake lees vinegar, establishing the foundation for today's Mizkan Group. However, the road was by no means smooth.
In 1821, a vinegar maker from a neighboring village obtained the exclusive right to sell vinegar in the Okazaki domain, and the Nakano business was banned from selling vinegar in the castle town of Okazaki. To overcome this difficult situation, Matazaemon II enlisted the support of Hanroku Nakano, a family member who was a supplier to the Owari domain. After persistent negotiations with the Okazaki domain, Matazaemon II succeeded in regaining distribution rights. After that, he secured exclusive rights in Mikawa and Okazaki, and strengthened sales by entrusting distribution in Edo, the largest market, to the powerful and long-established wholesaler, Hanbei Morita.
To accommodate increasing sales volume, he expanded and renovated the brewery. In 1818, two years after inheriting the family leadership, vinegar sales were 770 ryo (gold currency used during the Edo period). By 1837, it had grown to 3,000 ryo. Net profit also increased from around 100 ryo to over 1,000 ryo.

Matazaemon II also constructed a private waterway. As with sake making, vinegar making requires a stable supply of water. A new well was dug next to the common well and water was brought to the brewery through wooden pipes. Construction was completed in 1821.

Matazaemon II created Yamabuki, a top-tier vinegar made by aging sake lees for three years. This was sold exclusively in Edo. At the time, the Marukan vinegar from the Nakano business in Handa was so popular that “Marukan from Owari” was almost synonymous with vinegar in Edo. It was called “Marukan” in reference to its trademark, the character "kan" from Matazaemon II’s professional name, "Suya Kanjiro," encompassed by a circle ("maru" in Japanese).
However, trademark registration did not yet exist, and other vinegar makers also sold vinegar with the Marukan mark. In fact, all sake lees vinegar from the Owari region used the Marukan mark in Edo. Matazaemon II feared that people would think Nakano vinegar and vinegar from other stores were the same. So, around 1845, he came up with the idea of developing a distinctive vinegar and giving the product an original brand name to differentiate it from other Marukan vinegars.
The result was Yamabuki, a premium sake lees vinegar made by aging sake lees for three years. It was the product of what we now call brand strategy. Yamabuki made its proud debut as an exclusive product for Edo and immediately became a huge hit. Following this, brands such as Fuki and Nakano were launched. Sales in Edo were approaching one-third of total sales and ten years later, in 1854, they finally surpassed sales to local areas.
Matazaemon II's well-considered brand strategy was a resounding success. It all began with Matazaemon II’s premium vinegar brand Yamabuki, which is still sold today.
