Sempuku History
- 1856
- Founded as a mirin (sweet sake), shochu, and white liquor manufacturer under the trade name KAWACHIYA after the township.
- 1902
- Began sake brewing
- 1906
- Relocated and enlarged Meiji-Gura (Meiji Warehouse) (formerly Takehara Brewery)
- 1916
- Sempuku becomes a registered trademark (5th trademark after Kuregiku, Kuretsuru, Azumagawa, and Azumagawamasamune).
- 1920
- Sailed to South Africa and South Amerika with training squadron on battleship Asama carrying Kuretsuru. During the 220-day voyage, the sake, which did no change in quality or flavor after crossing the Equator twice, was highly acclaimed and was awarded a certificate. Thereafter, Sempuku was delivered to all naval bases.
- 1924
- Completion of Japan's first year-round brewery Taisho-Gura (Taisho Warehouse).
- 1925
- Established Miyake Seibe Shoten & Co. Opened Hiroshima Branch.
- 1928
- Sempuku becomes mainstream around this time.
- 1930
- Opened Otaru Branch.
- 1931
- Opened Hakodate Branch, Muroran Branch, Tokyo Branch, Yokohama Branch, and Osaka Branch.
- 1933
- Established Manshu Sempuku Jozo K.K. (Manchuria Sempuku Brewery Co., Ltd.)
- 1939
- Shifted to new company organization under MIYAKEHONTEN Co., Ltd.
Established Toa (Qingdao) Sempuku Jozo K.K. (Qingdao Sempuku Brewery Co., Ltd.) - 1940
- Established Miyake Shoji (now Miyake Sangyo Co., Ltd.)
- 1945
- Fire from air raids completely burned down residence, company, and breweries with only the outer walls of Meiji-Gura (Meiji Warehouse) and Taisho-Gura (Taisho Warehouse) remaining.
Lost Manshu Sempuku Jozo K.K. (Manchuria Sempuku Brewery Co., Ltd.). property and facilities overnight in the defeat of WWII. - 1946
- Completed Showa-Gura (Showa Warehouse).
- 1953
- Completed Gohōgura *named by former Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda.
- 1957
- Started up "Kure Fuku no Kai" gathering of Sempuku fans.
- 1958
- Started up "Hiroshima Fuku no Kai" gathering.
- 1959
- Started up "Hakata Fuku no Kai" and "Tokyo Fuku no Kai" gatherings.
- 1967
- Completed construction of Daiichi (No.1) Storage Warehouse.
- 1969
- Completed construction of Daiichi (No.1) Product Warehouse.
- 1970
- Recorded CM song that became well known for the lyrics, "Sempuku ippai ikagadesu~♪ (How about a cup of Sempuku?) written by Hachiro Sato, with female vocalist Naomi Sagara. *Recorded by the Dark Ducks (male vocal quartet) from 1974.
Started up "Bingo Fuku no Kai" gathering. - 1972
- Present office building and storehouse newly constructed.
- 1973
- Tokyo Office (now Tokyo Branch) newly constructed.
- 1974
- Takehara Rice Milling Plant newly constructed.
- 1975
- Established Miyake Kikaku Co., Ltd.
Started up "Osaka Fuku no Kai" gathering. - 1980
- Launched 1.8L paper container "Fuku-pak".
- 1981
- Launched 180mL paper cup-type container "V-pak".
- 1988
- Completed construction of large-scale preparation brewery Azuma-Gura (Azuma Warehouse).
- 2001
- Showa-Gura (Showa Warehouse) and Taisho-Gura (Taisho Warehouse) subjected to major damage in Geiyo Earthquake.
Newly facilitated Gohōgura as a Ginjo brewery. - 2003
- Newly constructed and created new products factory Sake-Kobo Seseragi on Showa-Gura (Showa Warehouse) and Taisho-Gura (Taisho Warehouse) site.
- 2006
- Opened Gallery Miyakeya Shōten on head office grounds.
- 2011
- Opened standing bar Dappan Shutei in Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo.
- 2013
- Set up booth at Hiroshima Confectionary Expo 2013.
Launched mobile café Ippukuan (Ippuku Café).
Shinriki becomes a registered trademark.