The Japanese government has launched a contest to urge young people to drink more liquor. The mission to promote alcohol consumption comes as Japan as of late seen its greatest fall in alcohol tax income in 31 years, as per various reports. The “Sake Viva!” campaign, being controlled by the National Tax Agency (NTA), asks 20-to 39-year-old residents to come up with ideas that assist in reviving the prominence of alcoholic drinks. The alcohol competition calls for new plans and ways of promoting home drinking. The competition will run till September 9.
Authorities have quoted that alcohol consumption in Japan has dropped down from a normal of 100 liters an individual a year in 1995 to 75 liters in 2020. As per the Japan Times, charges on liquor represented 5 percent of Japan’s total tax revenue in 1980. It dropped down to 3 percent in 2011 and declined further to 1.7 percent in 2020. Total revenue from the tax on liquor in 2020 fell by 110 billion
Yen (or 806 million US dollars), compared to the year prior. It was the biggest fall in alcohol tax income in 31 years, according to Japan Times.
One of the reasons behind the fall in Japanese alcohol consumption is due to lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the younger generation drinks comparatively less than the older folks. So, the older generation is another reason for the shrinking of the liquor market in Japan.
Japan’s health ministry said that they hope the campaign would remind people to drink only the “appropriate amount of alcohol”. Selected finalists from the competition will be invited to the gala awards ceremony in Tokyo which is set to be held on 10 November. The ideas from the winner would be
commercialized, said the tax officer
