Which beverage brands do AI assistants recommend in Japan? Q4 2026
In Japan, AI assistants most often recommend Suntory, Kirin and Ito En for beverages. Suntory is named by 4 of 4 assistants.
What the data says
Suntory is the beverage brand AI assistants recommend most in Japan, taking 12.2% of all recommendation points across 4 assistants. Kirin follows with 6.7% and Ito En is third with 6.4%.
Suntory's lead over Kirin is 5.5 points, a clear advantage in how AI shortlists the category.
Every assistant tested (ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini and Grok) puts Suntory first.
The top five brands hold 36% of recommendations out of 62 brands named in total, leaving room for challengers to break into AI shortlists.
| # | Brand | Owner | AI share | ChatGPT | DeepSeek | Gemini | Grok |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suntory | Suntory | 12.2% | 60 | 135 | 85 | 85 |
| 2 | Kirin | Kirin Holdings | 6.7% | 36 | 44 | 40 | 80 |
| 3 | Ito En | Ito En | 6.4% | 35 | 43 | 60 | 55 |
| 4 | Coca-Cola | Coca-Cola | 6.3% | 35 | 60 | 25 | 70 |
| 5 | Pocari Sweat | Otsuka Pharmaceutical | 4.7% | 35 | 12 | 35 | 60 |
| 6 | Red Bull | Red Bull GmbH | 3.7% | 20 | 25 | 12 | 55 |
| 7 | Pepsi | PepsiCo | 3.6% | 25 | 25 | 20 | 37 |
| 8 | Kagome | Kagome | 3.2% | 35 | 25 | 35 | – |
| 9 | Minute Maid | Coca-Cola | 2.9% | 25 | 20 | – | 43 |
| 10 | Asahi | Asahi | 2.8% | – | 40 | 44 | – |
| 11 | UCC | UCC Ueshima Coffee | 2.7% | 12 | 35 | – | 35 |
| 12 | Nescafe | Nestlé | 2.7% | 20 | – | – | 60 |
| 13 | Aquarius | Coca-Cola | 2.2% | 25 | 8 | 25 | 8 |
| 14 | Georgia | Coca-Cola | 2% | 25 | – | 35 | – |
| 15 | Lipton | Unilever | 2% | – | 12 | – | 47 |
| 16 | I LOHAS | Coca-Cola | 1.9% | 25 | – | 25 | 8 |
| 17 | Oronamin C | Otsuka Pharmaceutical | 1.9% | 12 | 20 | – | 25 |
| 18 | Fanta | Coca-Cola | 1.9% | 8 | 8 | – | 40 |
| 19 | Boss | Suntory | 1.8% | 35 | – | – | 20 |
| 20 | Mitsuya Cider | Asahi | 1.8% | 20 | – | 35 | – |
Questions about AI beverage recommendations
- Which beverage brand does ChatGPT recommend most in Japan?
- ChatGPT recommends Suntory most often for beverage in Japan. Across all assistants, Suntory leads with 12.2% of recommendations.
- Which beverage brand is improving fastest in Japan?
- Coca-Cola has the strongest momentum among challengers: AI names it first in 4 of 6 answers where it appears, while holding 6.3% share. This is the first Q4 2026 reading; change over time will be shown from the next update.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- We ask each AI assistant the questions shoppers ask in each category and market, record the top five brands it names, and give 35, 25, 20, 12 and 8 points for positions one to five. Share is a brand's points divided by all points awarded.
Beverages: AI rankings by country
Covers: Bottled Water, Coffee Drinks, Fruit Juices, Functional Drinks, Sparkling Drinks, Tea Beverages.
Method: each AI assistant is asked the shopper questions for every segment in the category and market; the top five brands named score 35, 25, 20, 12 and 8 points. Share is a brand's points divided by all points awarded. Rankings reflect AI answers, not sales.
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