[iichiko Commercials] Popular and All-Time Commercials Collection [2026]
Iichiko, an authentic shochu known for its catchphrase “The Napoleon of Downtown,” is a popular shochu you can find at convenience stores and supermarkets.
It’s a long-selling product that has been loved for many years, and in fact, TV commercials have been airing since 1986.
There are several series, including ones featuring landscapes from around the world and others with period-drama-style direction, and all of them evoke a sense of nostalgia when you watch them.
In this article, we’ll introduce those past commercials along with the music used in each.
Of course, we’ve also included the latest commercial, so be sure to check it out.
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[iichiko Commercials] Popular and Historical Commercials Compilation [2026] (1–10)
SANWA SHURUI iichiko Hita Zen-Koji “Hita, Mikuma River” Version
In the 2010 TV commercial for iichiko Hita Zen-Koji, actor Koji Matoba appeared.
The theme was likely a period-drama-style world, with Matoba dressed in traditional attire and riding a ferryboat.
Since the commercial has almost no dialogue, the background music—Fuyumi Sakamoto’s “Zutto Anata ga Suki Deshita”—really stands out.
If you like songs with a mature atmosphere, be sure to check it out.
SANWA SHURUI iichiko “We Love Family” Version
The iichiko commercial “We Love Family,” composed of footage of animal parents and children along with rugby scenes, aired in 2023 and conveys a warm atmosphere, doesn’t it? The background music features “Futari Monogatari,” released by Billy BanBan in 2021 as their first new song in five years.
It’s said to be a song about someone dear to you who is far away, so please listen to it while thinking of someone special in your life.
Sanwa Shurui iichiko Hita All-Koji “Hita/Taiō Gold Mine” Version
The 2012 “Hita/Taio Gold Mine” commercial features Koji Matoba dressed as a samurai.
He climbs through a rocky area meant to evoke the inside of a gold mine.
At the top of the rocks, he finds the brilliantly shining iichiko Hita Zenkoji.
The direction makes it feel as if he has discovered gold inside the Taio Gold Mine.
The background music, “Ai wa Inori no You da ne” (“Love Is Like a Prayer”), is a track from the 2012 album Ai Shiteru… LOVE SONGS III.
The lyrics are by the venerable Goro Matsui, and the composition is by Susumu Sugawara of Billy BanBan.
A Billy BanBan version of the song is also used in an iichiko commercial, so it’s fun to compare the two.
[iichiko Commercials] Popular and Historical Commercial Compilation [2026] (11–20)
Sanwa Shurui iichiko Hita All Koji “Hita Ishizaka Stone-Paved Road” Edition
A song by Fuyumi Sakamoto, a female singer who pursued a career as an enka vocalist while working as an office employee and is now a grand figure in the genre, known to a wide range of listeners.
This track is known as a cover of the brotherly folk duo Billy BanBan, and like the original, it has been used in a commercial for Iichiko, an Oita-made barley shochu.
Unlike Billy BanBan’s version, which is ethereal and spacious, this arrangement feels more intimate and close, revealing the song’s charm from a different angle.
Also, having it sung by a woman changes the nuance of the lyrics—it’s a number you’ll want to compare with the original.
iichiko by Sanwa Shurui: “Depth of Transparency” (commercial/spot)
This is the first installment of the memorable iichiko commercial series, aired in 1986.
It doesn’t feature the now-familiar, beautifully shot overseas location footage, and the narration isn’t by Hidenari Kawakita—the art director who created the iichiko commercials—but by a professional voice actor, giving it a different atmosphere from today’s spots.
The BGM, “Flor de Lua,” is sung by Amália Rodrigues, the Portuguese diva who rose to fame as the Queen of Fado.
She shone brightest from the 1940s to the 1970s, the golden age of fado, and even after her passing continues to influence many singers, including Mariza.
Sanwa Shurui iichiko “Danube” Version
Speaking of iichiko commercials, the music of Billy BanBan and Susumu Sugawara is inseparable from them, isn’t it? In fact, they weren’t involved from the very beginning—the first time their music was used in a commercial was the “Danube” version released in 1987.
Set in the Danube Delta, known as the largest delta in Europe, the first half unfolds at a relaxed pace, showing what appears to be a point-of-view shot of scenery as if seen from a ship or boat, which makes it easy to immerse yourself in the world of the commercial.
The narration says, “A touch of being moderately old-fashioned is nice, isn’t it?” but this visual sensibility hasn’t faded even today.
Sanwa Shurui iichiko ‘Downtown Napoleon’ dictionary: “Aroma Revolution” edition
Focusing on iichiko’s catchphrase, “The Napoleon of Downtown,” this commercial features Napoleon introducing a way to enjoy it even more deliciously.
He gently suggests that before drinking iichiko, close your eyes and slowly savor the aroma to bring out a richer taste.
The background music, which evokes the era when such a Napoleon might have lived, is Ziv Moran’s “Fantastico.” With its strongly acoustic feel, the lightness of the sound conveys a hint of folk-music atmosphere, further highlighting the sense of fun.
