Historical Tidbit: Hidden Characters for “Kirin” on the Label

Having its roots in ancient China, the kirin depicted on labels of Kirin Beer is a mythical animal of good omen. There were many beers around at the time of Kirin Beer’s launch in 1888 that used labels featuring animals such as cats, goats, dogs, foxes and lions. It was thus felt that Kirin Beer should also employ an animal emblem.

Kirin Beer label of 1888	Kirin Beer label of 1889

Close examination of the label's design reveals the small Japanese characters for "kirin." It is not known exactly why this was done: some say that the designer at the time added this touch for fun, while others insist that it was a measure to prevent forgery. Why not do some research on this historical label to find out when these hidden characters were first added?

• Pre-1933
• 1933
• 1949
• 1957
• Today