Saji went to Koyo Gakuin High School, and then Keio University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Economics. His grandfather, Shinjiro Torii, founded Suntory brewing in 1899. Saji became president in 2001, by which time it had become the fourth largest brewer and food manufacturer in Japan. Saji himself was listed as the richest man in Japan in 2004, though he has slipped in the rankings in recent years.

The group bought Beam in 201, the company behind both Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam for $16 billion, the same year that Saji stepped down as president. He still owns around 10% of the company, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.