advertised advertising campaign
Japanese government wants to get young people to drink more alcohol
Beer consumption in particular has plummeted in Japan. Now the government wants to take countermeasures (symbol image)
© Christoph Soeder / DPA
In Japan, a nationwide advertising campaign aims to get young people to drink more alcohol again. Consumption had declined in recent years – actually a positive sign, but now the country is suffering from a lack of tax revenue.
Governments around the world are trying to educate their people about the dangers of alcohol and encourage them to drink less. Not so in Japan. The island nation recently launched a competition to launch a new advertising campaign aimed at encouraging young people to start drinking more again.
In recent years, national consumption of the intoxicant in Japan, like in many other countries, has fallen. Now the state is missing tax revenue due to the reduced sale of beer, schnapps and co. That’s why the responsible tax authority launched the campaign “Sake Viva!” launched to boost national consumption.
Bizarre idea: Japan wants to encourage young people to consume more alcohol with an advertising campaign
The campaign is aimed at 20- to 39-year-olds and asks for suggestions on how to increase the popularity of alcoholic beverages again, reports the British “Guardian”. New drinks and designs are accepted, as are suggestions to make “home drinking” more popular again.
Alcohol consumption in Japan has fallen sharply, especially during the corona pandemic. According to the national tax authority, average consumption has fallen from 100 liters in 1995 to 75 liters in 2020. The drop in alcohol sales is a massive burden on the Japanese budget. It already has a deficit of the equivalent of almost 343 billion euros.
A lack of tax revenue is an additional burden on the Japanese budget
In 2020, the alcohol tax accounted for only 1.7 percent of total tax revenue, in 2011 it was three percent, and in 1980 even five percent. As the “Japan Times” reports, the country recorded the highest drop in alcohol tax revenue in 31 years in 2020.
As an official from the tax authority said, working from home has made great strides during the Corona crisis. But that also has its disadvantages:
“Many people question whether they need to continue the habit of drinking with colleagues to deepen communication,” he told the English-language newspaper. “If this ‘new normal’ takes hold, it will be an additional headwind for tax revenues.”
A gentle admonition came from the Japanese Ministry of Health. This said it hopes the planned campaign will also remind people to only drink the “appropriate amounts” of alcohol.
The winners of the competition will be announced at a ceremony in Tokyo on November 10th.
Sources: “The Guardians“, “Japan Times“