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Breakingviews – Japan’s sober youth gives its brewers a headache
There’s always a trade-off between improving a country’s health and its national income. Japan’s tax agency, fretting about falling revenue, is trying to plump up receipts by encouraging younger people to drink more alcohol. The move underlines the headache brewers like $18 billion Asahi face in their home market; small wonder boss Atsushi Katsuki is eyeing North America. Yet previous overseas adventures by the beer giant and its rivals can make for sobering reading.

Breakingviews – Japan’s sober youth gives its brewers a headache

There’s always a trade-off between improving a country’s health and its national income. Japan’s tax agency, fretting about falling revenue, is trying to plump up receipts by encouraging younger people to drink more alcohol. The move underlines the headache brewers like $18 billion Asahi face in their home market; small wonder boss Atsushi Katsuki is eyeing North America. Yet previous overseas adventures by the beer giant and its rivals can make for sobering reading.