Japan beer shipments fall to record low

JAPAN saw beer shipments fall to a record low for last year amidst sliding demand, with Asahi Breweries recapturing top spot.

Total shipments of beer and lower priced  "happoshu" (low-malt beer) shrank for the sixth consecutive year in 2010, down 2.8% from the previous year and the lowest level since records began in 1992, industry data show.

The slump in beer consumption, despite last year's hottest summer on record, was due to demand declining in tandem with Japan's ageing population as well as the growing popularity of non-alcoholic drinks, according to industry watchers.

Asahi, the producer of Asahi Super Dry, returned as the largest beer maker in 2010, with a market share of 37.5%, with rival Kirin Brewery in second with a 36.7% share.