With young people apparently finding Okinawa's awamori liquor less appealing, the industry has been hit with a decline in shipments for 13 consecutive years.
To rev up the struggling business, people from the public and private sectors have joined hands to pitch the distilled spirit indigenous to the island prefecture to other Japanese and overseas consumers. The growing number of foreign tourists to Japan, including Okinawa, is also expected to give a boost to the flagging industry.
Awamori dates back around 600 years and mirrors the unique culture of Okinawa — formerly the Ryukyu Kingdom before it was annexed by Japan in 1879.
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