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In fiscal year 2024, the shipment value of alcoholic beverages in Japan amounted to around *** trillion Japanese yen. The market was forecast to stay at a similar level in the following year. Major liquors sold in Japan include beer, liqueurs, and sake, among others.

Liquor trade in Japan

The Japanese alcoholic beverage industry produces a variety of brewed and distilled drinks targeted mainly at domestic consumers. While beer and liqueurs are dominating domestic sales, whisky and sake are the staples of the liquor export market. In particular, brands under the umbrella of the food and beverage manufacturer Suntory Holdings Limited gained international recognition with its single malt whiskies, boosting exports of Japanese whiskies in the last decade.

Drinking habits in Japan

Even though the domestic liquor manufacturing industry is well-known for producing sake based on traditional brewing processes, the alcohol of choice among Japanese consumers remains beer-like beverages, which encompass beer, low-malt beer (happoshu), and new genre beer (shin genre). New genre beer, also known as daisan beer, was introduced as a cheaper alternative to beer and happoshu following tax hikes on malt beverages. However, while the malt-free beer is a popular drink at home, beer is preferred as a drink for consumption outside of the home.