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It’s beer time! Japan's getting ready for the Rugby World Cup
17.9.2019
Translation: Eva Francis
The Rugby World Cup in Japans kicks off on Friday 20 September. It’s considered the third largest sporting event in the world – after the Olympics and the Soccer World Cup. Yet, when it comes to beer consumption among fans, the Rugby World Cup tops the list by far.
While alcohol is disappearing from stadiums at major soccer events, rugby matches are a true beer bash: rugby fans drink six times as much beer as soccer fans. According to the organisers, 1.9 million litres of beer were served in the stadiums and fan zones at the last Rugby World Cup in England in 2015. That's one and a half 25-metre swimming pools filled with beer. In 2007, rugby fans drank empty Marseille: when South Africa played Fidji in the quarter finals, there was no beer and no wine left in the entire city.
The conscientious and detail-loving Japanese are bracing for the surge in beer drinking. Testumasa Yumino runs a bar right next to the Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo, where the World Cup kicks off on Friday. As Japan Times reports, Yumino organised three times its usual number of backup beer kegs in preparation for the World Cup. Sponsor Heineken Kirin warned bars and restaurants near stadiums and fan zones of a «beer crisis» and the possibility of bad reviews on social media should they run out of beer.
The government steps in
In Oita Prefecture in the south of Japan, there’s even involvement from the government. This is where the teams from New Zealand, Australia and Wales are playing – teams whose fans are notoriously beer-loving. The local government has warned the country's four largest beer producers to guarantee beer supplies to the southern island of Kyushu.
The tourism office of Kobe, which hosts England, Ireland and Scotland, also took precautions and held a seminar for local food and beverage business operators in May. According to an official representative, these fans «are said to drink liberally.» Bars and restaurants were therefore advised to stock four to five times as much beer as usually.
Yet, their beer consumption isn’t the only aspect that’s likely to boost the Japanese economy, as 400,000 fans are expected to travel to the country. The upcoming World Cup is expected to create a roughly $4 billion economic boost for Japan. At least, this is a good opportunity for Tokyo to get ready for the Summer Olympics next year, even if this event can’t compare with the Rugby World Cup in terms of fans’ beer consumption.
Should Japan run out of beer at the World Cup, there are alternatives: whisky and sake are popular drinks in Japan and are definitely worth a try.
Simon Balissat
Teamleader Editorial
Simon.Balissat@digitecgalaxus.chWhen I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.
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