Brandwave

Asahi vs Orion:Which is more popular?

In October 2026, Asahi had more branded searches than Orion among Japanese beer brands worldwide. Asahi had about 135,000 branded searches, while Orion had 22,200. Asahi made up 33.5% of all Japanese beer brand searches we track, and Orion accounted for 5.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about Japanese beer brands, Asahi appeared in all five answers and Orion in three. Asahi was mentioned before Orion in every answer.

Among Japanese beer brands worldwide in October 2026

Who do people search for more?

Asahi, about 6 searches for every 1 for Orion

Asahi 135K searchesOrion 22.2K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Asahi, mentioned in every answer we collected

Asahi in 5 of 5Orion in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Asahi, named ahead of Orion in every answer

Asahi first in 5Orion never first

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Top Japanese beer brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Asahi appeared in all five answers. Orion was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Asahi was listed before Orion in every answer.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Asahi1st
  2. Sapporo2nd
  3. Kirin3rd
  4. Yebisu4th
  5. Suntory5th
  6. Hitachino Nest6th
  7. Orion7th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Asahi5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Sapporo5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Kirin5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Yebisu5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Hitachino Nest4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Orion3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Suntory3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about Japanese beer brands

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 25, 2026.

Is Asahi or Orion more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Asahi and Orion by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven Japanese beer brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Asahi and Orion among Japanese beer brands worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Asahi, Orion. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthAsahiSapporoKirinOrionSuntoryYebisuHitachino Nest
Nov 202534.6%34.6%18.9%4.7%2.5%3.8%0.91%
Dec 202534.2%34.2%20.6%3.8%2.5%3.8%0.9%
Jan 202630.7%37.4%20.4%4.1%2.2%4.1%0.99%
Feb 202631.7%38.5%19%4.2%2.3%3.5%0.84%
Mar 202630.7%37.4%20.4%4.1%2.2%4.1%0.99%
Apr 202630.5%37.1%20.3%5%2.7%3.3%0.98%
May 202633.2%33.2%22.2%4.5%2.4%3.7%0.87%
Jun 202638.9%31.7%19.5%4.3%1.9%2.9%0.84%
Jul 202629.6%36%22.1%5.9%2.2%3.2%0.95%
Aug 202630.4%37.3%20.3%6.1%2.2%2.7%0.8%
Sep 202631.3%38.4%19.2%5.1%2.3%2.8%0.82%
Oct 202633.5%33.5%20.5%5.5%3%3%0.89%

How has branded search for Asahi and Orion changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Asahi was ahead of Orion in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Asahi’s share of searches among Japanese beer brands worldwide moved from 34.6% to 33.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 110K to 135K.
  • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Orion’s share of searches among Japanese beer brands worldwide moved from 4.7% to 5.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 22.2K.

How did search popularity change for Japanese beer brands worldwide in October 2026?

2 changes
  1. In October 2026, Asahi overtook Sapporo to become the leader among Japanese beer brands worldwide, with 33.5% of the searches.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Orion worldwide rose 50% over 12 measured months, from 14.8K to 22.2K in October 2026.

How are Asahi’s and Orion’s branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Asahi’s and Orion’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Asahi

1 branded search term

  • asahi beer

Orion

1 branded search term

  • orion beer

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among Japanese beer brands

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