Japan: Beer shipments by Japan's five top brewers in February rose 1.0% from a year earlier for the first year-on-year increase in 47 months, according to reports the five released on March 10. Beer shipments by Kirin Brewery Co, Asahi Breweries Ltd, Sapporo Holdings Ltd, Suntory Ltd and Orion Breweries Ltd totaled 17.41 million cases in February. One case holds 12.66 liters, or an amount equivalent to 20,633 millilitre bottles.

10 March, 2004