Japan urges its young people to drink more to boost economy

*本文系英媒BBC新闻上月19日的报道，作者系Malu Cursino。本人将其翻译为中文并附带原文上传，旨在学习与练习英语，并不确保翻译的准确性。本文不含与我国政治（包括香港特区、台湾地区）直接相关的内容，不涉及敏感内容。

By Malu Cursino

BBC News 2022-8-19

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, whisky, 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.

Japanese media say the reaction has been mixed, with some criticism about the bid to promote an unhealthy habit. But others have posted quirky ideas online - such as famous actresses "performing" as virtual-reality hostesses in digital clubs.

Contestants have until the end of September to put forward their ideas. The best plans will then be developed with help from experts before the final proposals are presented in November.

The campaign's website says Japan's alcohol market is shrinking and the country's older demographic - alongside declining birth rates - is a significant factor behind it.

Recent figures from the tax agency show that people were drinking less in 2020 than in 1995, with numbers plummeting from an annual average of 100 litres (22 gallons) to 75 litres (16 gallons) per adult.

Tax revenue from taxes on alcohol has also shrunk over the years. According to The Japan Times newspaper, it made up 5% of total revenue in 1980, but in 2020 amounts to just 1.7%.

The World Bank estimates that nearly a third (29%) of Japan's population is aged 65 and older - the highest proportion in the world.

Concerns about the future of sake is not the only problem that poses for Japan's economy - there are worries about the supply of younger staff for certain types of jobs, and care for the elderly in the future.

日本力劝本国年轻人多喝酒以增长经济

作者Malu Cursino

BBC新闻 2022-8-19

日本年轻人是清醒未醉的群体——一些部门正希望用一场活动改变这个情况。

年轻的一代比他们父母辈更少喝酒——这种行为已经打击了酒水例如清酒（米酒）的税收。

所以国家税收部门提出了国家竞赛的主意来介入，以扭转趋势。

“清酒万岁”活动希望以一项计划让将饮酒变得更加吸引人——以及提振行业。

竞赛邀请20至39岁的人分享他们的商业想法，来刺激他们平辈中的需求——不论这是关于日本清酒、烧酒、威士忌、啤酒还是葡萄酒的。

运行活动的税务部门组织说明了新的习惯——部分成型在新冠大流行期间——人口老龄化导致了酒类销售的下降。

活动希望参赛选手们提出促消活动、品牌推广甚至涉及人工智能的领先计划。

日本媒体报道，活动反响是复杂的，一些人批评这种努力是在倡导不健康的习惯。但是另外的人在网上放出了一些奇怪的主意，例如让知名女星在数字俱乐部中表演虚拟现实的侍酒员。

参赛者需要在九月底前提交他们的想法。在最终建议书十一月展示前，最好的计划将在专家的帮助下被制定。

活动的官网显示，日本的酒水市场正在收缩，国家的老年人口——与减少的出生率——是这背后的重要因素。

来自税务部门的最近数字显示，人们在2020年喝的酒少于1995年，数字从每年平均100公升（22加仑）骤然下跌到75公升（16加仑）。

税务部门的酒类收入多年以来也在收缩。根据日本时报，它在1980年占税务总收入的5%，但在2020年只达到了1.7%。

世界银行估计几乎三分之一（29%）的日本人口岁数超过65岁——是世界上最高的比例。

对清酒未来的担忧不是日本经济唯一的问题——人们还担心特定岗位年轻职工的供应，以及在未来对老年人的照顾。