The Japanese are allowed to drink a little more, according to the country’s tax authorities. With the campaign ‘Sake Viva’ the national tax agency NTA is collecting ideas to encourage alcohol consumption. With this, the NTA hopes to breathe new life into the industry.
The Japanese alcohol market is shrinking. Due to the aging population and changes in the lifestyle of younger generations, alcohol sales are falling, and with it tax revenues. According to CNN Japan’s treasury received 1.1 trillion yen (8.5 billion euros) in alcohol taxes last year, 1.7 percent of all revenues. Ten years earlier it was still 3 percent. FT writes that alcohol consumption per person has fallen by a quarter since 1995 to 7.5 liters in 2020.
The ideas campaign is not only about sake but also about other types of Japanese drinks, such as whiskey and awamori. The organization also specifically asks for new sales methods with artificial intelligence and the Metaverse, the virtual reality world created by the parent company of Facebook. Submit plans until September 9, in Japanese only.
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