The product name "One CUP" of one of our representative brands, "One Cup Ozeki," won the Excellence Award in the general category (Division 1) of the "Japan Naming Awards 2025," sponsored by the Japan Naming Association and supported by the Japan Patent Office.

The Japan Naming Awards is an activity that selects and awards commendable and excellent names with the aim of "improving the quality and value" and "popularizing and raising awareness" of names by widely disseminating the importance of naming to society, thereby contributing to the development of the industry. The awards are open to product names, service names, company names, etc. that are sold or offered in Japan between Tuesday, October 1, 2024 and Tuesday, September 30, 2025, and the names of which are registered trademarks. The Grand Prize and Excellence Prizes have been decided in all seven categories.

■What is "One CUP" (One Cup Ozeki)?

Cup sake was released in October 1964. It adopted the innovative style of "selling sake directly in a cup" to make it easier to enjoy sake, and changed the traditional 10L bottle culture. Now in its 62nd year since its release, it continues to be a beloved long-selling product.

* "One CUP" is a registered trademark of Ozeki Co., Ltd. ■ Brand official website: https://onecup.ozeki.jp/

■ Origin of the name

Jiro, the second son of the 10th president, Nagabe Bunjiro, was inspired by the phrase "One cup of tea" from a British teacher while practicing English conversation, and came up with the name "One CUP." Because "One Cup Ozeki" was a product that introduced an innovative style of sake served in a cup, the name also needed to be unconventional, and discussions continued until the final stages of product development. Jiro's proposal for "One CUP" was highly praised for its smart sound and familiarity, and it became a name that would continue to be loved for many years to come.

■Reason for winning the award

"One Cup is easy to pronounce, and the word "One" evokes the feeling of holding the bottle, while the word "Cup" evokes the feeling of opening the aluminum cap. It's excellent."
"This product changed the concept of sake. The name has become so well-established that it has become synonymous with 'sake in a cup.'"
"The product and the name are closely linked. It's easy to understand and familiar."
"I think the English name One Cup was innovative, based on the concept of sake. It was only because of the existence of One Cup that a follow-up product with this packaging was born."
We received many positive comments, such as "A wonderful name that is very popular."

Another reason for its support and appreciation was the good taste of naming sake "One Cup" back then, and the fact that it is a universal name that doesn't feel outdated at all today. The Japan Naming Association believes that "naming not only contributes to product sales, but also has the power to enrich lifestyles and culture." In that sense, "One CUP" is a name that has established a new way of enjoying "sake" in people's lives, and has been praised as a name worthy of praise.

 ■Comment from the award winner

We are extremely honored that "One CUP" has won the Excellence Award at the Japan Naming Awards. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported us over the years and to the organizers.

"One CUP" was launched in 1964 with the desire to make it easier for people to enjoy sake, and will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2024. Driven by a pioneering spirit, "One CUP" is our flagship product, which has challenged itself to achieve various "firsts" in the industry. The name "One CUP" was born from a very small opportunity, but we are truly happy and grateful that it has continued to be loved by everyone to this day.

Encouraged by this award, we will continue to strive to bring the charm of sake to more people.