As well as regulating, taxing and providing training for alcohol producers, Japan’s National Tax Agency (NTA) also has a budget for promoting the Japanese drinks industry. So, how much do they have, and where is it going?
The NTA supplemental budget for promotion was JPY 1.59 billion in 2024, and expected to be JPY 2.15 billion in the first budget of 2025.
In 2024, JPY 230 million went towards efforts to have UNESCO recognise traditional alcohol production as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This included raising awareness through newspaper ads, ads on digital signs at major train stations, ads on aircraft in-flight entertainment systems and domestic and overseas promotional events.
The NTA also plans to collaborate with JSS, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (overseas embassies), JETRO and other organisations to promote Japanese drinks at Expo 2025 in Osaka.
Under the headings of raising awareness/expanding sales channels and supporting the move to high added value products, the NTA delivered JPY 700 million to the drinks industry in 2024 in subsidies for promotion, which is expected to drop to JPY 600 million in 2025.
These subsidies are intended for branding, developing overseas demand through inbound tourism and developing the Japanese drinks industry overseas, as well as helping to differentiate products and diversify sales channels in Japan and abroad. Examples cited included sakagura tourism for inbound tourists, promotional tastings for non-Japanese, and development of secondary brands.
On the other hand, funding for increasing awareness, expanding sales channels and switching to high added value products is set to increase from JPY 280 million in 2024 to JPY 930 million in 2025. This will go towards PR for international events, inviting influencers from drinks educators to Japan, support for finding importers, exhibiting at large overseas events or holding business meetings with overseas export coordinators, overseas market research and gathering information on regulations, and PR for Japanese alcoholic beverage GIs.
A 2024 allocation of JPY 190 million for enhancing the capability of the National Research Institute of Brewing (NRIB) for analysis and issue of export certificates and will not be continued in 2025, but they will receive JPY 960 million as an operating subsidy for research into enhancing brand value, and providing information to domestic and international audiences.
Subsidies for modernisation of sake brewing, managed with the JSS, are due to increase from JPY 190 million to JPY 620 million, and the NTA also plans to use the UNESCO registration and Expo 2025 to contribute to the stability of the sake industry.
The NTA also has its eye on the cost of raw materials, such as rice, and will work with funds held by the JSS to operate a credit guarantee programme that will provide short-term working capital in the event of sharp price increases.
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令和７年度予算（酒類業振興関係）の概要 (NTA site, not dated)
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