Change in the sake shipment volume during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

In order to show and record the impact of COVID-19 on the consumption of sake, the total monthly shipment volume from sake breweries, which is called a taxed shipment volume and announced by the Japan Sake Makers Association, was expressed as a percentage of pre-pandemic 2018 and 2019 average. As a result, the amount of shipment, which should reflect the consumption of sake, decreased significantly when the declaration of a state of emergency or quasi-emergency measures, as well as requests for restaurants and bars to close or shorten business hours, was issued. On the other hand, when the newly infected numbers were reduced and these measures were lifted, the shipment volume recovered to a certain extent. Thus, there was a repeated increase and decrease of shipment. The impact was greater on specially designated sake such as Ginjo and Junmai, which is generally regarded as premium sake and consumed more at restaurants than standard sake. During the 7th and 8th waves of COVID-19 in the late half of 2022, there were much more new infected persons than before, but no emergency or quasi-emergency declaration was issued, and the reduction in shipment volume was not as serious as before. Compared to 2018-2019, however, the shipment still remains low, around 80-90%, and future trends must be closely watched.