AMAZING: The Japanese have launched a national competition to encourage young people to drink more alcohol

As a result of a decline in tax revenue caused by a shift in young people’s views toward alcohol, the Japanese government has established a national competition to encourage the 20-to-39-year-old group to consume more alcohol.

BBC claims that younger generations in Japan use less alcohol than their parents, impacting output and cutting government revenue from levies on products such as sake (a rice-fermented alcoholic beverage).

The National Inland Revenue Agency (NTA) has launched a campaign titled ‘Sake viva’, in which those between the ages of 20 and 39 are asked to submit ideas for reviving the popularity of alcoholic beverages among their generation, whose demand has declined due to changing lifestyles, the coronavirus pandemic, and the emergence of younger generations.

The competition, which runs through September 9th, seeks “new goods and designs” as well as methods to promote drinking at home. The top concepts will be refined with the assistance of industry professionals before the final solutions are presented in November.

According to the BBC, participants are urged to investigate sales techniques employing cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

According to the NTA, the average annual alcohol consumption per person in Japan has decreased from 100 liters in 1995 to 75 liters in 2020.

The decrease in alcohol sales has had a negative impact on the Japanese budget and exacerbated the budget deficit.

Alcohol taxes amounted only 1.7% of Japan’s tax revenue in 2020, compared to 3% in 2011 and 5% in 1980, as reported by the BBC and Tanjug.