OSAKA -- Asahi Breweries Ltd. is set to launch a beer this spring featuring the Hanshin Tigers, while Suntory Ltd. will offer a brew dedicated to the baseball team's archrival, the Yomiuri Giants.
Asahi will put the Tigers logo on 350-ml, 218 yen cans of its best-selling Super Dry on Friday.
Called "Gambare (Go for it) Tigers," the beer will be sold across Japan, but it will be promoted especially in the Kinki region centering on Osaka, where the Tigers are based. Asahi will include the logo on bottles from March 30.
Officials noted that such cans are popular, and that the brewery has also sold cans bearing logos of other pro baseball teams, including the Yokohama BayStars and Orix BlueWave. It has been selling Tigers cans since 1985, they added.
Meanwhile, Suntory said it will release nationwide on April 3 draft beer in 350-ml cans with a message praying for a Giants win in the Japan Series national championships for a second consecutive year. They will also carry a price tag of 218 yen.
It will be the eighth straight year for the firm to sell Giants-logo cans.