Combined shipments of beer and low-malt "happoshu" fell 5.2 percent to 520,920 kiloliters in March, down for the seventh consecutive month, according to data released by Japan's five major brewers Thursday.
Beer shipments fell 11.6 percent to 294,635 kiloliters, down for the 36th straight month, while happoshu shipments rose for the first time in two months, gaining 4.6 percent to 226,285 kiloliters.
Asahi Breweries Ltd., Kirin Brewery Co., Sapporo Breweries Ltd., Suntory Ltd. and Orion Breweries Ltd. attributed the figures to new happoshu products.
The low-malt brew accounted for 43.4 percent of the beer market in March, up from 39.4 percent a year earlier and slightly down from the record share of 46.4 percent marked in February, according to the brewers.
The 56.6 percent market share of beer, which is subject to a higher tax, was down from 60.6 percent in March 2002.