Shipments of beer and "happoshu" -- a low-malt, beer-like sparkling liquor -- fell 2.2 percent in January from a year before to 360,539 kiloliters, according to data released Wednesday by Japan's five top brewers.
Shipments of beer skidded 13.5 percent to 249,822 kiloliters, but those of happoshu shot up 39.1 percent to 110,717 kiloliters, according to reports by Asahi Breweries Ltd., Kirin Brewery Co., Sapporo Breweries Ltd., Suntory Ltd. and Orion Breweries Ltd.
Shipments of happoshu, which is similar to beer in appearance but cheaper due to lower taxes, rose for the 68th straight month. Those of beer shrank for the 22nd straight month.
The brewers attributed the continued decline in the beer market to the slumping economy, which has prompted people to favor canned "kanchuhai" cocktails -- a combination of distilled spirits and fruit juice or soda -- and happoshu over costly beer.
Happoshu accounted for 30.7 percent of the overall beer and low-malt liquor market in January.
Asahi Breweries, Japan's No. 1 seller of beer and happoshu and the only one that releases sales statistics on a monthly basis, said its overall shipments of both drinks edged up 1.1 percent in January to 154,158 kiloliters.
Sapporo also saw more overall sales of both drinks in the reporting month, while both Kirin and Suntory saw corresponding numbers fall on a year-on-year basis.