By The Japanese government has launched a nationwide contest to come up with ideas to encourage more young people to consume more alcohol.
It is said that the younger generation in the country drink less alcohol than their parents, resulting in a slide of tax revenues.
To change the situation, the National Tax Agency (NTA) created the “Sake Viva!” campaign with the aim of making drinking more attractive and, in turn, boost the economy.
According to reports, the contest asks 20 to 39-year-olds to come up with ideas and proposals to drive demand for alcohol among their peers.
The competition, which runs until September 9, calls for “new products and designs” as well as ways to promote home drinking. The best plans will then be developed with help from experts before the final proposals are presented in November.
Meanwhile, the NTA said alcohol consumption in Japan had fallen from an average of 100 litres a person a year in 1995 to 75 litres in 2020. The decrease in alcohol sales has hit Japan’s budget, which is already running a deficit of more than ¥48tn (£290bn).
This situation has also shrunk the revenue from taxes on alcohol over the years. It made up 5% of total revenue in 1980, but in 2020 amounts to just 1.7%, according to The Japan Times newspaper.
