Supersize sake bottles are becoming a thing of the past in Japan

Pubs and consumers struggle to finish 1.8-liter containers as drinking habits change

A lineup of traditional 1.8-liter sake bottles at a store in Niigata in January. (Photo by Miho Saito)

MIHO SAITO, Nikkei staff writer

March 6, 2023 06:51 JST

NIIGATA, Japan -- Japanese sake brewers have found that bigger is not better when it comes to bottles, the largest of which have fallen out of favor as people drink less.

COVID-19 accelerated a shift away from 1.8-liter bottles. Shipments have fallen faster during the pandemic as restaurants and bars struggled to stay open for much of the time.