

Matazaemon Nakano IV
1854-1895 (Aged 41)

INTRODUCTION
Matazaemon IV changed the characters of the Nakano surname from “中野” to “中埜” and came up with the current Mizkan mark. Demonstrating keen foresight, he proactively started new businesses, including the beer business.


Matazaemon III passed away in 1867 at the age of 59 when Kokichi, who took on the name of Matazaemon IV, was still a 13-year-old boy. Then in 1868, news came that Hanbei Morita, a major customer since the company's founding and exclusive distributor in Edo (Tokyo), was closing shop. This was a cause for great concern, but in the end, Hanzaburo Nakai took over the store, and became an even bigger customer. Business continued to thrive, and once Matazaemon IV began to take an active role in management, he worked with the Morita family to open sales outlets in Shimizu and Numazu, steadily expanding sales channels. He also promoted products nationwide by exhibiting at expos such as the Domestic Industrial Exposition, which was held in Tokyo and other parts of Japan from 1877.
It is also said that Matazaemon IV showed a strong interest in divination from a young age. This is thought to be the reason why the Nakano family name’s kanji was changed from “中野” to “中埜”, giving it a more refined and classical nuance, when the Family Registration Act was established.
It was Matazaemon IV who changed the Marukan mark to the current symbol when the Trademark Ordinance came into force in 1884. After getting through the turbulence at the end of the Edo period (1604-1868) without major upheaval, the vinegar business continued to thrive in the Meiji period (1868-1912). Japan first passed a series of trademark rules in 1884, modeled on similar regulations in Western Europe. The rules required companies to register trademarks if they wished to ensure exclusive use.
At the time, numerous vinegar producers used the same Marukan mark the Nakano family had been using. Matazaemon IV attempted to register the mark, but a Nagoya vinegar maker managed to register it three days before him. Determined to create a new trademark, Matazaemon IV secluded himself at home. After much consideration, he finally had a breakthrough. Inspired by the Matazaemon family crest of three horizontal bars inside a circle, he created the current symbol of three horizontal bars above a circle. In Japanese, it can be referred to as “mitsu-kan” (三ッ環), literally meaning “three-circle”. The circle represents universality and the hope for Mizkan to become widely known. The trademark was successfully registered on May 26, 1887, and has come to be loved by customers worldwide.

There is one more story behind the trademark registration. Matazaemon IV held massive corporate mark unveiling events in various locations. The 1888 Tokyo unveiling was particularly memorable. He rented the wildly popular Shintomi-za kabuki theater for an entire day and invited 1,500 customers to a kabuki performance.
All the guests received pamphlets explaining the origin of the new trademark, as well as hair ornaments, sake bottles, sake cups and other items decorated with the trademark. The top kabuki actors of the time performed on stage while staff members, distributing bento boxes, tea, alcohol, and other items, wore charming happi and hanten coats emblazoned with the Mizkan trademark. This grand event was unlike anything yet seen in the Meiji period. The Mizkan mark surely left an impression on everyone who attended. In addition, the new trademark was promoted through various media, including newspaper advertisements and calendars.

While continuing his main business, Matazaemon IV also actively entered other industries such as dairy and shipping. He had plenty of foresight and an enterprising spirit, and the best example of this was his decision to start a beer brewing business. Around 1884-1885, some sake brewers on the Chita Peninsula started brewing beer. Matazaemon IV was instantly intrigued by this new drink.
In 1887, he instructed his nephew, Zenpei Morita, to embark on a new business venture: beer brewing. Zenpei headed to Tokyo, where he meticulously researched beer breweries and learned brewing methods. He then went on to Kobe in Western Japan and hired a Chinese man with a British brewing license before returning home. In May 1889, the long-awaited in-house brewed Marusan Beer was ready for its first shipment. Three years later, Marusan Shoten was established in Nagoya to distribute the beer, and a warehouse was built in Handa to streamline the storage and transportation of goods. In 1895, just as the beer business was gaining traction, Matazaemon IV passed away at the early age of 42.
Marusan Beer began to sell well after being exhibited at the Kyoto Exposition in 1895, and Marusan Beer Co., Ltd. was established the next year. By 1898, the Red Brick Brewery was built in Handa and began producing Kabuto Beer. Everything from the brewing equipment to the ingredients was imported from Germany to recreate the authentic taste of German beer for the new brand. Kabuto Beer captured the fifth largest domestic market share, behind Yebisu Beer and other leading brands, and even won a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition. The Red Brick Brewery building is still standing in Handa today, and was designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004. The passion and innovative challenges undertaken by Matazaemon IV ultimately led to significant success.
