As the autumn chill diminishes the nation's thirst for beer and the search begins for something else to drink, imbibers should keep in mind that a bottle of premium brandy will now be a bit more affordable.
The first stage of Japan's liquor tax revisions as mandated by the World Trade Organization takes effect Sept. 30.
The WTO ruled last year that Japan's liquor tax system discriminated against imports because the taxes levied on spirits, such as whiskey and brandy, were at least 3.9 times heavier than those for domestic "shochu" on a per degree of alcohol basis. Under international pressure, the government decided last December to raise the tax on shochu by a maximum 140 percent while cutting, in stages, the levy on whiskey by 58 percent by October 2001. Japan hopes to reduce the disparity between the prices over a period of five years.