Japan's National Tax Agency is concerned about the downward trend in its alcohol industry as tax revenues are starting to dry up.
Notably, Japan's alcohol consumption has been in a downward arc since the 1990s, according to the country's health ministry.
According to reports, the Japanese government is planning to convince its younger population to consume more alcoholic drinks as a way of boosting the economy through taxes from the brewery industries.
According to reports, recent statistics from the tax agency revealed that Japanese people were drinking less in 2020 than in 1995, with numbers reducing from an annual average of 100 litres (22 gallons) to 75 litres (16 gallons).
The youth generation drinks less alcohol than their parents – a move that has hit taxes on beverages like sake (rice wine).
According to CNN, the "Sake Viva!" campaign, overseen by the National Tax Agency, invites participants to submit ideas on how to "stimulate demand among young people" for alcohol through new services, promotional methods, products, designs and even sales techniques using artificial intelligence or the metaverse, according to the official competition website.
The website reads, "The domestic alcoholic beverage market is shrinking due to demographic changes such as the declining birthrate and ageing population, and lifestyle changes due to the impact of COVID-19. It further makes an "appeal to the younger generation … and to revitalize the industry."
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