Report: Spirits Market in Japan

About the Report 

Japan boasts a long tradition of Spirits making, with first records of locally distilled liquors appearing about 600 years ago in the South of Japan and giving rise to the large Shochu segment. Japan’s alcoholic beverage market has been on a steady decline since 2001 due to several factors, such as the ageing and declining population as well as changes in lifestyle and growing health awareness. The Spirits segment, which encompasses all distilled liquors is, however, growing strongly with an average of 5,5% between 2001 and 2021 in terms of consumption according to the Japanese National Tax Agency.

The Spirits industry is highly regulated from food safety to labelling to recycling and in order to import and sell liquor in Japan, licences are required. Thus, entering the Japanese market can seem daunting and it is often a sensible choice to work with a local partner or a locally established distributor or importer.

With this background, the report aims to provide an overview and insights into the Spirits market in Japan.

About the Expert: 

Caroline Hayashi / Hayashi Consulting. Caroline Hayashi (Hayashi Consulting) has over 15 years’ experience in marketing management positions within leading luxury groups (LVMH, Richemont) in Japan, Germany and France. Building on her expertise in strategic brand management as well as extensive hands-on experience in implementing marketing strategies, she is now working as an independent business development and marketing consultant for Japanese and European SMEs.