As higher taxes on alcohol came into effect, the price of happoshu, the Japanese low-malt beer, has risen in many retailers this week. The price of a 350-ml can of low-malt happoshu was raised in some stores to 145 yen, up 10 yen, while the price of a 500-ml can was raised to 201 yen, a 16 yen increase. The tax hikes will not target regular beer, thus narrowing the price gap between beer and happoshu, whose selling point has been its low price tag.

06 May, 2003