The Japanese government has launched a nationwide competition to revitalize the alcoholic beverage industry, which has been declining as a result of demographic changes, lifestyle choices, and the coronavirus pandemic.
Sake Viva!, a campaign run by the country’s national tax agency that runs until September 9, asks people aged 20 to 39 to come up with ideas for new “products and designs” to “stimulate demand among young people.”
Boosting Japanese alcoholic beverages such as sake (rice wine), beer, whiskey, wine, or beer falls into this category.
According to the tax authority’s campaign website, “the domestic alcoholic beverage market is shrinking due to demographic changes such as the declining birth rate and aging population, as well as lifestyle changes due to the impact of the new coronavirus infection.”
“In this project, by asking young people to propose their own business plans, we will appeal to young people for the development and promotion of Japanese alcoholic beverages, and at the same time, we will revitalise the industry.”
Taxes on alcohol products accounted for 5% of total revenue in 1980, but shrunk to just 1.7% in 2020, according to The Japan Times.
“As working from home made strides to a certain extent during the COVID-19 crisis, many people may have come to question whether they need to continue the habit of drinking with colleagues to deepen communication,” an official at the tax agency told the newspaper.
“If the ‘new normal’ takes root, that will be an additional headwind for tax revenue,” they added.
