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by W. David Marx, Tokyo Editor
9 February, 2010



   
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Kirin and Suntory go back to being rivals

The two Japanese drink giants have abandonded a plan to merge into an internationally competitive super beverage company
 
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Suntory Kirin merger
Kazuyasu Kato, president of Kirin Holdings, grimaces at the February 8, 2010 press conference where Suntory and Kirin officially called off the merger talks.

Suntory-Kirin merger is called off

In Summer 2009, the two Japanese beverage giants Suntory and Kirin announced a possible merger in preparation for greater international expansion.

Yet after six months of talks, the companies called off their merger plans yesterday at a press conference. Apparently the two beverage giants couldn't agree on details like the core merger share ratio and the valuation of Kirin's pharmaceutical business, Kyowa Hakko Kirin. (We know, right, a brewery that makes drugs: Awesome.)

We'd be happy if the merger talk meltdown meant more diversity among the companies' beer offerings. But if it just means more happoshu and third-category beer, well, maybe it's back to the negotiating table for those guys.

In other news

Ozawa and wife are billionaires: Kids, if you want to be really rich, go into Japanese politics. DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa and his wife, for example, own around ¥2 billion in assets. 

Soy products help reduce risk of lung cancer: So says a health ministry study group. You know what also helps? Not smoking.

Walkers and runners clash at the Imperial Palace: As the area around the Imperial Palace grounds becomes a popular jogging spot, there have been increased incidents of conflicts between strolling visitors and serious runners. We say, let's settle this with a competitive compromise: racewalking.




   
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W. David Marx is CNNGo's Tokyo City Editor. Originally hailing from the American South, David studied East Asian Studies in New England and then worked for the magazine Tokion in the Lower East Side. After moving to Tokyo in 2003, he has completed a M.A. in Consumer Behavior, worked for an ad agency, written freelance for magazines such as GQ, Brutus, Weekly Diamond, and Nylon, founded numerous niche blogs, and recorded two albums on New York-based indie labels.

Read more about W. David Marx
Tags: Suntory, merger talks, lung cancer, Kirin Beverage, imperial palace, Ichiro Ozawa
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