Tokyo (CNN)Japan The government has run into an unusual problem. Young people are not drinking enough.
What is the government's solution? Launch contests to find new ways to encourage young people to drink more.
The "Sake Viva!" Participants are invited to submit ideas on how to “stimulate demand.” Tournament official site.
"The domestic alcoholic beverage market is shrinking due to demographic changes such as the declining birthrate and aging population, as well as lifestyle changes due to the impact of Covid-19," the website said, adding that the competition “Appealing to the younger generation…and revitalizing the industry.”
The contest includes promotional ideas for all types of Japanese alcohol, and is open until September 9. I accept. Finalists will be invited to an expert consultation in October before the final tournament in Tokyo in November. According to the tax office, the winners will be given support for commercialization.
But not everyone is on board, and the competition and tax authorities have been criticized by some online.
"Are you kidding?" wrote one Twitter user.
Others said it was inappropriate for government agencies to encourage young people to drink, and that the campaign was linked to health risks and alcohol abuse.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has issued warnings about the dangers of excessive drinking in the past. The post called excessive alcohol consumption a "major social problem" despite the recent slowdown in consumption.
A Treasury Department spokesman declined to comment on the tax authority's competition when contacted by CNN.
Declining sales
According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, izakaya, the Japanese version of pubs and izakayas, have been particularly hard hit, with sales halving from 2019 to 2020, according to the latest figures available.
The proportion of "domestic consumption" (drinking at home) has "increased significantly" due to fewer opportunities to drink in public, the ministry said.
However, young adults stood out as an exception. According to the ministry, about 30% of people in their 40s to her 60s drink regularly, which means he drinks three or more days a week, while in his 20s he only drinks 7.8% vs..
"In this way, the decline in drinking habits over the years is thought to have had an impact on the shrinking of the domestic market," the ministry said.
In a 2021 report, tax officials said liquor taxes had been a major source of revenue for the government for centuries, but had declined in recent decades. Japan will receive her ¥1.1 trillion ($8.1 billion) liquor tax in 2021. This represents her 1.7% of total tax revenue, compared with 3% in 2011 and 5% in 1980.
In 2021, when Japan lifted its state of emergency in October, restaurants will be able to sell alcohol again and be able to operate beyond that time, though some parts of the country have restrictions until March this year.
