Heineken Rugby World Cup

Japan moves to prevent World Cup beer shortage

September 16, 2019
By Alana House

Japanese officials have warned bars they must not run out of beer during the Rugby World Cup.

The government of Oita Prefecture, where New Zealand, Australia and Wales will play, has asked the largest four beer producers in Japan to strengthen their supply chains during the tournament so they can respond to urgent orders.

Takuma Shin has been working with Japanese brewers since last year to ensure there are enough supplies.

“I’m in charge of preventing a beer shortage,” he told ABC News.

“When beer has run out at past events, there have been huge complaints.

“Because of cases like that, [tournament organisers] asked us to make sure we have proper measures in place — so we have really turned our mind to it and I am working on making sure we have sufficient supply.”

Bars have been asked to extend business hours so that visitors can have a few beers after games. And many bars are adding extra taps to cope with demand.

Toshitaka Adachi, owner of an Irish pub in Oita, told ABC News: “Every place has been warned, so there’s a sense of excitement and anxiety.”

More than 400,000 visitors are expected to visit Japan during the World Cup, which will start in September, with Australians expected to make up the second biggest contingent of international tourists.

From the start of Rugby World Cup until it finishes in November, a bar nearby Tokyo Stadium will lay on three times its usual number of back-up beer kegs.

Sponsor Heineken “horrified”

There were fears earlier this year that Japan would underestimate the demand for beer from tourist.

The Sun revealed in April that one stadium planned to stock just five beer kegs for a match instead of the 1300 expected to be consumed.

Heineken Rugby World Cup

At a Japan-Australia game last November, so little beer was supplied that parts of Yokohama stadium ran out before kick-off.

A Nissan Stadium official told The Asahi Shimbun she was surprised by how much beer rugby fans from outside Japan consume.

“A spectator typically drinks one glass of draft beer during a soccer match, but rugby watchers consume four to six glasses per person,” she said. “One customer even bought 24 cans of beer.”

Sponsor Heineken was apparently “horrified” by Yokohama Stadium’s single, tiny bar and limited beer supplies for tens of thousands of supporters.

A source said: “They were in Japan checking facilities ahead of the tournament. They were shocked at the small amount of beer for sale in grounds. One had just one bar and five kegs of beer.

“That wouldn’t last five minutes with rugby fans, let alone an entire game.

“Everyone’s glad it’s been spotted now. They have nearly six months to make sure it’s sorted out and no one goes thirsty at the World Cup.”

Heineken expects a year-on-year sales rise of about 70% between September and November in Japan.

It plans to increase beer production in September by around 80% from the same time last year.

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