大象传媒

Japan's young adults are a sober bunch - something authorities are hoping to change with a new campaign.

The younger generation drinks less alcohol than their parents - a move that has hit taxes from beverages like sake (rice wine).

So the national tax agency has stepped in with a national competition to come up with ideas to reverse the trend.

The "Sake Viva!" campaign hopes to come up with a plan to make drinking more attractive - and boost the industry.

The contest asks 20 to 39-year-olds to share their business ideas to kick-start demand among their peers - whether it's for Japanese sake, shochu, whiskey, beer or wine.

The group running the competition for the tax authority says new habits - partly formed during the Covid pandemic - and an ageing population have led to a decline in alcohol sales.

It wants contestants to come up with promotions, branding, and even cutting-edge plans involving artificial intelligence.

Roland Kelts is a writer in Tokyo and visiting professor at Waseda University.聽 Half Japanese himself, he's an authority on the interplay between Japanese and Western cultures.聽 Is this campaign was purely about tax revenues?

Photo shows: A young woman drinks sake during a coming of age ceremony in Japan. Credit: Getty Images

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