[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.
- The Iichiko commercial song. A popular jingle.
- [Oita Mugi Shochu Nikaido] A collection of nostalgic past commercials
- [Y!mobile Commercials] Popular and Historical Commercials Summary [2026]
- [Nostalgic Commercials] A compilation of commercials that aired in the Showa era
- [Ariel Commercial] Popular and Historical Commercials Summary [2026]
- Catchy commercial jingles. A roundup of those songs grabbing attention in ads!
- [From timeless classics to the latest hits] A roundup of catchy commercial songs
- [March 2026] Roundup of the Latest Trending Commercial Songs
- A roundup of commercials featuring enka singers—from ones where you can hear their singing to fun and quirky spots.
- [Lottery Commercials] Popular and Historic TV Ads Compilation [2026]
- Nostalgic commercials from the 2000s: revisiting ads that left a lasting impression
- [Aflac Commercials] Popular and All-Time Commercials Roundup [2026]
- [Recruit Commercials] Popular and All-Time Commercials Compilation [2026]
[Iichiko Commercials] Popular and Historic CM Compilation [2026] (31–40)
Sanwa Shurui iichiko ‘Argentina’ Edition
This is an iichiko TV commercial that aired in 1998.
It shows the majestic natural scenery of Argentina, intercut with familiar images associated with the country: the feet of a couple dancing tango and the hands of a man playing the accordion.
Their faces aren’t shown, but the dancers’ upper bodies appear as silhouettes cast on a wall.
The CM song is “Ososugita Kisetsu” (The Season Came Too Late), released in 1994 by Billy BanBan.
Among Billy BanBan’s works, this piece has an especially bright tone.
If you want to savor vocalist Susumu Sugawara’s crystal-clear voice, be sure to give this track a listen.
Sanwa Shurui iichiko “Ireland” Version
Because the Iichiko commercials are filmed on location overseas, just watching them makes you feel like setting off on a trip, doesn’t it? The “Ireland” installment from the 1994 commercial series also stirs viewers’ wanderlust with its beautiful lakeside scenery.
It begins with a view looking down over the lake, then cuts to a close-up of a small rowboat.
Instead of simply moving in closer to the boat, the ad intersperses scenes of forest animals, and only afterward shows a bottle of Iichiko placed at the boat’s bow—a wonderfully sly touch.
And the final scene is perfect too: accompanied by the narration, “Let’s take our time and talk once in a while,” the bottle of Iichiko floats gently on the water’s surface, wavering in the light.
iichiko by Sanwa Shurui “Oasis” Version
This is the Oasis edition that aired in 1999.
With its expansive desert and camels, it perfectly matches the mellow background music.
For a moment you can’t tell what the commercial is for, but you can’t help getting absorbed in the beautiful, nature-rich imagery.
The CM song is Billy BanBan’s “Sabaku no Bara” (Desert Rose), which fits the visuals perfectly.
In the end, when the iichiko bottle tumbles down the sand dune, you go, “Ah, it’s an iichiko commercial!”
Sanwa Shurui iichiko “Lapland” Version
The “Lapland” commercial is set in Lapland, located in northern Finland.
Lapland is famous as the home of Santa Claus, and as you can see in the commercial, it’s a region that gets a lot of snow in winter.
In the ad, a man pulls a sled together with reindeer, carrying cargo.
The background music for this commercial features Susumu Sugawara’s solo song “Toki wa Ima, Kimi no Naka” (“The Time Is Now, Within You”).
While many of Billy BanBan’s songs center on metaphors and lyrical expression, this track is composed of highly complex and abstract lyrics.
If you’d like to see a new side of Susumu Sugawara, be sure to check it out.
iichiko by Sanwa Shurui “Berries” Version
This is a commercial released in 2010, featuring beautiful seascapes from Belize, a country in Central America.
The CM song is a cover of Fuyumi Sakamoto’s “Zutto Anata ga Suki Deshita” performed by Billy BanBan.
In iichiko commercials, it’s common for Billy BanBan and Fuyumi Sakamoto to cover each other’s songs, and spotting those differences can be part of the fun.
Both versions are wonderful—the passionate, emotionally charged rendition by Sakamoto and the wistful rendition by Billy BanBan.
[iichiko CM] Popular Commercials and Historical Ads Summary [2026] (41–50)
SANWA SHURUI iichiko “Bernina” Edition
The “Bernina” episode set in Graubünden, Switzerland, aired in 2008.
It’s a soothing commercial featuring views from the Rhaetian Railway tracing a large circle, along with pastoral scenery.
The CM song is Billy BanBan’s ‘Mata Kimi ni Koishiteru,’ familiar from iichiko ads.
At the end, you’re momentarily startled by a giant bottle of iichiko appearing—but it turns out the train is a miniature (laughs).
Sanwa Shurui iichiko “Smooth-Skin” Version
The “Tsurutsuru” edition, aired in 2005, is memorable for its scenery of a stork gliding slowly through the sky.
Tsurutsuru is a town near Suwałki, a rural town on the Polish border.
The song is Billy BanBan’s “Kimi no Uta,” which was used from 2005 to 2007.
It’s a pleasant commercial with a relaxed atmosphere flowing over images of a country town, and it’s a place you’d want to visit at least once.