[국제]Young people who don’t drink … The golden age of “alcohol-free” Japan.

[앵커]

Much has changed since the Crown crisis, but one of the biggest changes is probably the culture of drinking.

In Japan, while the aggregation atmosphere for a drink is gradually disappearing, markets for non-alcoholic spirits are popping up.

This was reported by correspondent Lee Kyung-ah from Tokyo.

[기자]

A refreshing color with rich bubbles.

The only thing missing from the cocktail is alcohol.

This property only sells alcohol-free alcohol or less than 3%.

[다카하시 쿠라미 / 대학생 : 대학 동아리 회식도 줄어서 술 마시러 가자는 말을 좀처럼 들을 수가 없어요.]

[츠치야 아오이 / 대학생 : 제가 술이 그렇게 세지 않아서 무알코올이 마시기 편해요.]

This newly opened restaurant in Shibuya, a street of youth, is called ‘Sumadori’ bar.

It is the Japanese abbreviation for so-called ‘smart drinking’, which means drinking alcohol your way and in a healthy way.

The emergence of such a new word is not only due to the prevention of corona infection, but also to the change of times.

[카지우라 미즈호 / 아사히 그룹 홀딩스 신가치창조부장 : 에는 회사에 입사해서 선배들과 함께 마시는 문화 속에 술 마시는 법 등을 배웠는데 지금은 그런 기회 자체가 별로 없어졌죠.]

In particular, the number of people who drink alcohol among young people in Japan is decreasing significantly.

According to a Japanese government survey, around 8% of people in their 20s regularly drink alcohol in 2019.

That’s less than half of what it was 20 years ago.

As sales declined, the Japanese liquor industry turned to the non-alcoholic market and continued its aggressive investments.

[코라 마사코 / 산토리 사업전략부장 : 바에서 만나 소통하거나 분위기를 즐기는 쪽을 고객들이 중시하게 됐다고 봅니다. 앞으로 무알코올을 포함한 술의 가치를 고객들에게 제안하고 싶습니다.]

Some companies are also responding well, with soft drink sales doubling in the second quarter of last year.

However, there are also rumors that drinkers will not be happy with this.

[마츠자키 사츠키 / 음악가 : 술 마시는 사람이 줄었다니 믿기지 않아요. 주변에 마시는 사람 뿐이거든요.]

[쿠로마스 시게노부 / 회사원 : 마시고 싶은 사람들은 앞으로도 계속 마실 거라고 봐요.]

I’m Kyungah Lee from YTN in Tokyo.

YTN Kyungah Lee ([email protected])

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