The Japanese government is appealing to their people to drink more alcohol, they even launched a campaign to get more people to drink, in an effort to boost the economy.
According to a report by Japan Times on 2 August, the government’s revenue from liquor taxes for the year 20200 fell by 110 billion yen (or SGD $1.13 billion).
Citing the pandemic as a factor, an official from the Japanese National Tax Agency said that people’s habits have been changed permanently due to the pandemic, with more people working from home.
The official said that many people are questioning whether they have to continue the habit of drinking with their colleagues to bond closer, and if this “new normal” continues, it will become an “additional headwind” for taxes.
As a result, the authorities in Japan are launching a campaign called Sake Viva! to encourage people to drink more.
The campaign calls for new products and designs in a bid to make drinking at home popular, and is set to run until 9 September.