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Major Japanese drinks maker eyes Australia expansion NHK

A: Hey, buddy! Did you catch the latest news?
B: Not yet, what's up?

A: Suntory's boss thinks there's a big opportunity in Australia for their canned chuhai drinks!
B: Oh, really? I didn't know they were that popular.

A: Yeah, turns out young folks love them because of the lower alcohol and fun flavors.
B: That sounds cool. And it makes sense, with less drinking worldwide due to health concerns.

A: Exactly! Suntory's CEO says they see a big potential in canned beverages there.
B: They must have good reasons for going after Australia then. What did he say?

A: He mentioned Australia's growing population and wealth, which is twice Japan's per capita GDP.
B: So they think they can make a killing in that market!

A: That's the plan! He also said they want to boost their presence in Oceania since it's such a vibrant market.
B: Makes sense. I wonder if other Japanese beverage companies are doing the same thing.

A: You got it right! Looks like Australia's beer market was dominated by two Japanese breweries last year.
B: Wow, looks like Japan is making a splash in the Australian beverage scene!
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The CEO of Japanese beverage giant Suntory Holdings says there is room to grow in Australia. And two companies in the Suntory group have opened a manufacturing facility and are bringing its popular canned "chuhai" spirits to the country.



While alcohol consumption is declining worldwide due to growing health consciousness, canned "chuhai" spirits have become increasingly popular. Young people especially are attracted to their relatively low alcohol content and diverse fruit flavors.



Suntory Holdings CEO Niinami Takeshi expressed belief that there is still untapped space in the canned alcoholic beverages market.



He said "Sales of drinks like canned 'chuhai' spirits and canned whisky soda are greatly increasing, so we decided to develop this market in Australia."



Niinami cites Australia's growing population and a GDP per capita about twice that of Japan as reasons for the moves.



He said "This market is so dynamic, and we should be more engaging with this market so that we can increase our presence in Oceania."



Other major Japanese beverage manufacturers are also tapping into Australia. The country's beer market in 2023 was dominated by companies under two Japanese breweries.
Summary
Japanese beverage giant Suntory Holdings sees growth opportunities in Australia's market, specifically for its canned "chuhai" spirits. The decline in global alcohol consumption due to health concerns has made these lower-alcohol drinks attractive, particularly among young people who enjoy their
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ID: 097671d4-b8f5-4dff-8d4f-351c66650ff7

Category ID: nhk

URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250710_22/

Date: July 10, 2025

Created: 2025/07/11 07:13

Updated: 2025/12/08 03:23

Last Read: 2025/07/11 18:14