Japan is facing a somewhat peculiar situation in Western eyes: its young people are drinking less and less alcohol, and its authorities, far from considering it good news, believe it to be a problem. Especially the Japanese Tax Agency, which has seen its income from taxes on spirits considerably reduced and sees a future problem for the national industry. That is why it has started a campaign to encourage its consumption.
More and more teetotalers. According to the Japanese Tax Agency, the number of alcohol consumption in Japan has gone from 100 liters per person per year in 1995 to 75 liters in 2020, largely because young people in that country drink less and less. These figures have meant that tax collection on spirits has gone from representing 5% of the total in 1980 to 1.7% today. This prolonged fall has meant, for example, that in the last fiscal year the Japanese coffers have obtained 813 million dollars less, according to The Japan Times.
The curious thing is that, according to data from the World Health Organization of 2018, Japan is a country that, without being among those that consume the most alcohol, is also not one of the least. This body measures the intake of pure alcohol, and not the total liters of spirits, and notes that the Japanese consume 8 liters of pure alcohol per year, considerably more than the 14.4 in the Czech Republic, the 12.9 in Germany and Ireland or the 12.7 of Spain, but similar to those of Sweden (8.9), Italy (7.9), Brazil (7.4) or Norway (7.4). The world average is 6.2 liters of pure alcohol per year.
These figures are above the world average, however, would remain above all Japanese over 40 years of age, so the Tax Agency considers that low alcohol intake among young people may become a problem in the future both for the industry Japan as for its tax collection.
campaign to fix it. To try to reverse this trend, Japan’s revenue agency has launched a campaign called ‘Sake Viva!’ with which they invite people between 20 and 39 years old to create projects and initiatives that encourage alcohol consumption among Japanese people of the same age. The proposals must be focused on promoting drinks of Japanese origin, such as sake or shochu and local whiskies, beers and wines.
What do the Japanese think? In Japan the campaign has generated controversy. On the one hand, The Japan Times reports that it has received fierce criticism on social networks from many Japanese who do not see the Tax Agency as appropriate in the lifestyle and health of its citizens. On the other hand, entrepreneurs from the alcoholic beverage and nightlife industry have celebrated the initiative.
The Japanese Ministry of Health, for its part, has limited itself to pointing out that it hopes that the projects chosen to promote alcohol consumption among young people will also underline the importance of drinking responsibly and without exceeding the appropriate amount.
Image | Lan Pham