While Japan's total beer production dipped 2.5% to 324.6 million hectoliters in 2022, the frothy landscape beneath this headline reveals a market in fascinating flux, where craft brewery numbers surged, non-alcoholic options bubbled up, and the definition of 'beer' continued to evolve with shifting consumer tastes.
Key Takeaways
- Japan's beer production volume in fiscal 2022 was 324.6 million hectoliters, marking a 2.5% decline from the previous year due to reduced domestic demand.
- The production of regular beer (excluding happoshu and new genres) in Japan for 2022 totaled 133.2 million hectoliters, representing 41% of total beer production.
- Happoshu production in Japan reached 104.5 million hectoliters in 2022, accounting for 32.2% of the total beer market production.
- Japan's per capita beer consumption was 19.6 liters in 2022, down 3.1% from 2021.
- Total beer consumption volume in Japan reached 16.5 million kiloliters in fiscal 2022.
- Draft beer accounted for 28% of total beer consumption at 4.6 million kl in 2022.
- Asahi Super Dry held 37.2% market share in beer sales in fiscal 2022.
- Kirin Ichiban Shibori captured 14.8% of the premium beer segment in 2022.
- Sapporo Black Label commanded 11.5% overall market share in 2022.
- Total beer market value in Japan: ¥2.45 trillion in 2022.
- Asahi Group beer sales revenue: ¥1.12 trillion, up 3.4% YoY 2022.
- Kirin Holdings beer segment revenue: ¥789.3 billion in FY2022.
- 65% of Japanese consumers prefer domestic beer brands in 2023 survey.
- 42% of consumers shifted to premium beers post-2020 in 2023 poll.
- Craft beer trial rate among 20-39s: 58% in 2022 consumer survey.
Japan's beer industry is declining overall but craft and premium segments are growing.
Consumer Trends
- 65% of Japanese consumers prefer domestic beer brands in 2023 survey.
- 42% of consumers shifted to premium beers post-2020 in 2023 poll.
- Craft beer trial rate among 20-39s: 58% in 2022 consumer survey.
- Low/no-alcohol beer preference: 31% of consumers up from 18% in 2020.
- Fruit-flavored beer appeal: 27% among women aged 25-34 in 2022.
- Sustainability label influence: 49% more likely to buy in 2023 study.
- Home consumption occasions: 72% daily/weekly beer drinkers 2022.
- Brand loyalty to Asahi Super Dry: 39% repeat purchase rate 2022.
- Younger generation (Gen Z) craft preference: 41% vs 15% boomers 2023.
- Price sensitivity: 56% switch brands for ¥10/liter savings 2022.
- Health claims boost sales 22% among fitness enthusiasts 2022.
- Social media influence on beer choice: 34% for under 30s 2023.
- Rice beer cultural appeal: 62% positive sentiment in 2022 poll.
- Non-carbonated alternatives trial: 19% in low-alc segment 2022.
- Packaging preference: Sleek cans 51% over bottles 2023 survey.
- Event drinking decline: 28% less due to costs post-2022.
- Organic beer interest: 23% willing to pay premium 2022.
- Male vs female: 68% men vs 32% women weekly drinkers 2022.
- Urban millennials favor imports: 17% of consumption 2023.
- Loyalty programs retention: 45% via apps for beer buyers 2022.
Consumer Trends Interpretation
The Japanese beer market reveals a complex national character where a steadfast two-thirds patriotism for domestic brews coexists with a remarkably nimble, almost fickle, consumer who is simultaneously trading up to premium sips, flirting with craft novelties and sober alternatives, scrutinizing price tags and sustainability labels with equal fervor, all while increasingly enjoying these calculated indulgences from the sleek-can-clad comfort of their own homes.
Consumption Statistics
- Japan's per capita beer consumption was 19.6 liters in 2022, down 3.1% from 2021.
- Total beer consumption volume in Japan reached 16.5 million kiloliters in fiscal 2022.
- Draft beer accounted for 28% of total beer consumption at 4.6 million kl in 2022.
- Happoshu consumption was 5.8 million kl, 35% of market in fiscal 2022.
- Premium malt beer consumption grew 4.2% to 4.1 million kl in 2022.
- New genre beer consumption volume: 3.9 million kl, up 2.1% YoY 2022.
- Off-trade beer consumption (home) was 62% of total at 10.2 million kl in 2022.
- On-trade consumption (bars/restaurants) dropped to 38% or 6.3 million kl in 2022.
- Average monthly beer consumption per adult male: 4.2 liters in 2022 survey.
- Female beer consumption per capita: 8.9 liters annually in 2022.
- Craft beer consumption share rose to 3.5% of total market in 2022.
- Non-alcoholic beer consumption tripled to 1.2 million kl since 2019 in 2022.
- Low-malt happoshu consumption declined 5.4% to 2.3 million kl in 2022.
- Summer peak consumption: July-August averaged 2.8 million kl monthly in 2022.
- Urban vs rural consumption gap: Tokyo 22 liters/capita vs national 19.6 in 2022.
- 20-29 age group consumption: 25.4 liters per capita, highest in 2022.
- Over 60s consumption fell to 12.1 liters per capita in fiscal 2022.
- Canned beer consumption: 55% of total volume at 9.1 million kl 2022.
- Bottled beer share: 22% or 3.6 million kl in consumption 2022.
- PET bottle beer consumption grew 12% to 1.8 million kl in 2022.
- Home delivery beer consumption via apps: 0.9 million kl, up 28% in 2022.
- Vending machine beer sales volume: 1.2 million kl annually 2022.
- Festival and event beer consumption: 0.7 million kl during 2022 events.
- Health-conscious low-cal beer consumption: 2.4 million kl in 2022.
- Flavored beer (shandy) consumption: 1.5 million kl, 9% growth 2022.
Consumption Statistics Interpretation
While the overall Japanese beer market is gently deflating like a day-old draft pour, with traditional bars losing ground to home cans and rising health trends bubbling up craft brews and non-alcoholic options, the data reveals a nation still deeply, if more thoughtfully, committed to the ritual of a cold one.
Market Share and Companies
- Asahi Super Dry held 37.2% market share in beer sales in fiscal 2022.
- Kirin Ichiban Shibori captured 14.8% of the premium beer segment in 2022.
- Sapporo Black Label commanded 11.5% overall market share in 2022.
- Suntory Premium Malt's market share was 9.3% in malt beer category 2022.
- Big 4 companies (Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, Suntory) controlled 95.2% of market in 2022.
- Craft breweries' combined market share reached 4.1% in volume terms 2022.
- Asahi's happoshu brands held 42% of happoshu market in fiscal 2022.
- Ebisu (Sapporo) premium share: 18.7% in high-end lager 2022.
- Number of craft breweries: 1,248, with top 10 holding 25% of craft share 2022.
- Orion Beer (regional) 6.2% national share in Kyushu region dominance 2022.
- Number of beer brands active: 2,450 in 2022, led by majors.
- Asahi Group Holdings revenue from beer: ¥1.12 trillion in FY2022.
- Kirin beer division sales: ¥789 billion, 52% of company total 2022.
- Sapporo Breweries revenue: ¥512 billion from beer in 2022.
- Regional players like Shiga Beer: 0.2% niche share in craft 2022.
- Total industry revenue from beer sales: ¥2.8 trillion in fiscal 2022.
- Advertising spend by top 4: ¥180 billion on beer promotions 2022.
- Number of employees in beer industry: 28,500 direct in 2022.
- Mergers: Asahi acquired craft brands worth ¥15 billion in 2022.
- Market concentration ratio (CR4): 95.2% unchanged since 2020.
- Online sales share for major brands: 8.5% of total 2022.
- Export share by company: Kirin 35% of total beer exports 2022.
- Super Dry international sales contribution: 22% to Asahi beer revenue 2022.
- Craft leader Yaegaki Beer: 0.8% national craft share 2022.
Market Share and Companies Interpretation
Japan's beer scene resembles a polite but firm oligopoly party where Asahi is the host who brought 37% of the keg, the other three majors are the guests who brought the rest, and the 1,248 craft breweries are the plucky neighbors trying to get a word in edgewise over the ¥180 billion soundtrack of advertising.
Production Statistics
- Japan's beer production volume in fiscal 2022 was 324.6 million hectoliters, marking a 2.5% decline from the previous year due to reduced domestic demand.
- The production of regular beer (excluding happoshu and new genres) in Japan for 2022 totaled 133.2 million hectoliters, representing 41% of total beer production.
- Happoshu production in Japan reached 104.5 million hectoliters in 2022, accounting for 32.2% of the total beer market production.
- New genre beverages (third-category beer) production volume in Japan was 86.9 million hectoliters in fiscal 2022, up 1.8% year-over-year.
- Total malt beer production in Japan for 2023 preliminary data stood at 1.29 million kiloliters, a slight increase from 2022.
- Japan's brewery production facilities numbered 1,248 in 2022, with a focus on craft beer microbreweries growing by 15%.
- Average annual beer production per brewery in Japan was approximately 260,000 hectoliters in 2022.
- Shipment volume of draft beer from Japanese breweries hit 45.2 million hectoliters in 2022.
- Rice-based beer production in Japan increased to 12.3 million hectoliters in 2023, driven by premium brands.
- Low-alcohol beer production surged 8.7% to 23.4 million hectoliters in fiscal 2022.
- Japan's total beer production capacity utilization rate was 72% in 2022, down from 78% pre-pandemic.
- Craft beer production volume reached 5.8 million hectoliters in 2022, a 22% YoY growth.
- Export-oriented beer production in Japan was 2.1 million hectoliters in 2022.
- Premium lager production dominated with 156.4 million hectoliters, 48% of total in 2022.
- Seasonal beer production volumes peaked at 18.7 million hectoliters during summer 2022.
- Non-alcoholic beer production grew 15.2% to 4.9 million hectoliters in 2022.
- Barrel-aged beer production in craft segment was 0.8 million hectoliters in 2023.
- Total raw material usage for beer production in Japan: 1.2 million tons of malt in 2022.
- Hops import for production reached 8,500 tons in fiscal 2022.
- Water usage per hectoliter of beer produced averaged 4.2 hectoliters in 2022.
- Energy consumption for beer production was 145 MJ per hectoliter in 2022.
- CO2 emissions from beer production totaled 1.8 million tons in fiscal 2022.
- Recycling rate of production waste in Japanese breweries was 98.5% in 2022.
- Automated production lines in major breweries covered 92% of output in 2022.
- R&D investment in production tech was ¥45 billion across industry in 2022.
- Number of new beer recipes produced by craft brewers: 1,250 in 2022.
- Production of fruit-flavored beers rose to 7.2 million hectoliters in 2023 prelim.
- Pale ale production in craft segment: 1.9 million hectoliters, 33% of craft total 2022.
- IPA production volumes hit 1.4 million hectoliters in Japan 2022.
- Stout and porter production: 0.6 million hectoliters in craft breweries 2022.
Production Statistics Interpretation
Japan's beer industry is sobering up, with overall production declining as domestic thirst wanes, yet it's nursing a vibrant craft beer revolution and a taste for premium alternatives that are frothing with growth.
Sales and Revenue
- Total beer market value in Japan: ¥2.45 trillion in 2022.
- Asahi Group beer sales revenue: ¥1.12 trillion, up 3.4% YoY 2022.
- Kirin Holdings beer segment revenue: ¥789.3 billion in FY2022.
- Sapporo Breweries beer revenue: ¥512.4 billion, down 1.2% 2022.
- Suntory Beverage & Food beer sales: ¥456 billion in fiscal 2022.
- Happoshu category sales value: ¥850 billion, 35% of market 2022.
- Premium malt beer sales revenue: ¥950 billion, growing segment 2022.
- Craft beer sales value: ¥120 billion, 4.9% CAGR since 2018 to 2022.
- Off-trade beer sales: ¥1.52 trillion, 62% of total value 2022.
- On-trade sales revenue: ¥930 billion, recovering post-COVID 2022.
- Canned beer sales value: ¥1.35 trillion in 2022 market.
- Average price per liter of beer: ¥148 in retail 2022.
- Convenience store beer sales: ¥650 billion annually 2022.
- Supermarket beer sales share: 45% of off-trade at ¥680 billion 2022.
- E-commerce beer sales growth: 25% to ¥210 billion in 2022.
- Export sales value: ¥45 billion for Japanese beer in 2022.
- Non-alcoholic beer sales revenue: ¥89 billion, up 18% 2022.
- Promotional sales discounts averaged 12% on beer in 2022.
- Draft beer on-premise sales: ¥420 billion revenue 2022.
- Seasonal beer sales peak: ¥250 billion in Q3 2022.
- Low-alcohol beer sales: ¥180 billion, 7% market share 2022.
- Craft beer average price: ¥350 per 350ml can vs ¥200 mainstream 2022.
- Total industry profit margin: 8.2% on beer sales in FY2022.
- Tax revenue from beer excise: ¥1.1 trillion to government 2022.
- Volume-price elasticity: -0.45 for beer demand in Japan 2022 study.
- Premiumization trend: 28% sales value growth in high-end beers 2022.
- Health trend drives 15% sales increase in low/no-alc 2018-2022.
Sales and Revenue Interpretation
With you can't fit the entire ¥2.45 trillion Japanese beer market into a single sentence, but this one does manage to capture a nation meticulously weighing tradition and tax, premiumization and promotion, and sobering health trends, all while Asahi sips a near-majority of the profits.
Trends and Forecasts
- Beer market projected to grow at 1.2% CAGR to ¥2.6 trillion by 2027.
- Craft beer segment forecast: 7% annual growth to 8% market share by 2027.
- Non-alcoholic beer to reach 10% of market by 2025, volume 2.5M kl.
- Premium beer value share to hit 45% by 2026 from 38% in 2022.
- Total consumption forecast: Decline to 18.2 liters/capita by 2027.
- Export volume projection: 3.5M kl by 2025, +67% from 2022.
- Low-carb beer growth: 12% CAGR through 2028.
- E-commerce sales to 20% of off-trade by 2027.
- Sustainability tech adoption: 100% carbon neutral breweries by 2030.
- RTD beer hybrids forecast: 15% market penetration by 2026.
- Aging population impact: 2% annual consumption decline to 2027.
- Craft brewery numbers to 2,000 by 2027 from 1,248 in 2022.
- Price inflation forecast: 3-5% annual due to costs till 2026.
- Women-targeted beers: 25% sales growth projected 2023-2027.
- AI in production efficiency: 20% cost savings by 2028 forecast.
- Import beer share stable at 2.5% through 2027.
- Recycling targets: 99.5% by 2030 from 98.5% 2022.
- Health-focused variants: 30% of new launches by 2025.
- Urban craft taprooms to double to 1,200 by 2027.
- Global expansion revenue: 30% of majors' beer sales by 2030.
Trends and Forecasts Interpretation
The sobering reality is that Japan's beer industry is elegantly pivoting from a mass market quenching a national thirst to a sophisticated, export-focused portfolio of premium, craft, and health-conscious options, all while its domestic drinkers slowly but steadily savor less.
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