Educational activities outside the company
Responsible Drinking awareness activities at the coming-of-age ceremonies
As an activity targeting people who are 20 years old, the entry age for drinking, Kirin conducts awareness-raising activities for proper drinking at Kirin head office and at Kirin Brewery and Mercian factory locations nationwide, in a ceremony to celebrate turning 20 years old. The purpose of these activities is to dispel concerns about alcohol and to encourage interest in alcohol by distributing educational leaflets with Kirin's original alcohol patch test and providing information on the correct way to drink alcohol and other information to help people learn about their own alcohol conditions.
Seminars for new hires, affiliated companies and plant tour participants
Kirin offers responsible drinking seminars upon request for its vendors and customers, people taking plant tours, and local community organizations. We use alcohol patch tests to allow participants to confirm their own alcohol tolerance, provide information on what alcohol is, how it acts on the body, and the negative impacts when it is misused, and give advice on how to drink more appropriately.
Seminars for university students
Kirin offers responsible drinking seminars upon request for universities around Japan. Chugging and problem drinking remain common among young people and result in many unfortunate incidents. During seminars we try to communicate correct knowledge about alcohol and its role in social relationships. As part of this, we use original Kirin alcohol patch test kits so that participants can check their own alcohol tolerance and learn about proper, enjoyable ways of drinking.
Anti-drunk driving initiatives
Designated drivers
Kirin Brewery began supporting the "Designated Driver Movement" in 2009 as part of its efforts to eradicate drunk driving. The "Designated Driver Movement" aims to eliminate drunk driving by encouraging people to select one among their party will not drink (the designated driver) when they're taking a car to a restaurant and plan on having alcohol. Designated Driver Movement activities are held around Japan in coordination with police departments and local governments during the same period as the annual spring and fall nationwide traffic safety campaigns. Our activities include handing out educational leaflets and samples of "GREEN’S FREE (Non-alcohol)," a 0.00% non-alcohol beer for tasting. We are conducting public awareness campaigns to solve social issues to eradicate drunk driving through our products, such as displaying the handle keeper mark* on ”GREEN’S FREE” and “Kirin Zero Ichi”, and creating educational short videos.
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*displayed on only on bottles of “GREEN’S FREE”
Programs for people on plant tours
Many people drive their cars and motorcycles to our plant tours, and at the time of entry, we confirm who the drivers are, review the rules, and give them driver cards so that they are not mistakenly provided with alcoholic beverages. We also furnish non-alcoholic beverages to non-drinkers attending tastings. During the spring and fall national traffic safety weeks, we display banners in our parking lots and have staff and security personnel wear "designated driver" sashes and badges to make people more aware of the need to prevent drunk driving.
"Kirin Fund against Drunk Driving" shareholder benefit
In 2010, we added the "Kirin Fund against Drunk Driving" to the list of options in our shareholder benefit menu as part of an effort to provide assistance for the victims of traffic accidents, including those caused by drunk driving. The money donated by shareholders is given to the Foundation for Orphans from Automobile Accident, a nonprofit organization. The foundation was established with investments from automotive industry groups and others to provide support for children orphaned by traffic accidents, and operates under licenses from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The Kirin Group views fundraising activities as an opportunity for stakeholders to think about drunk driving and other problems caused by inappropriate drinking.
An educational project aimed at women to promote responsible drinking habits:“Nomikata Kaeru PROJECT” (Changing the Way You Drink PROJECT)
In 2014, on March 8th—International Women's Day—the Brewers Association of Japan and its five member beer companies launched the “Nomikata Kaeru Project” (Changing the Way You Drink Project), an initiative aimed at educating women on responsible drinking habits. On February 19, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare issued the “Guidelines on Alcohol Consumption with Consideration for Health” (hereafter referred to as the "Drinking Guidelines"), which state that the amount of pure alcohol that increases the risk of lifestyle-related diseases is 40 grams or more per day for men and 20 grams or more for women. Recognizing that women process alcohol differently due to factors such as body fat percentage and liver size—requiring roughly half the alcohol intake of men—the project developed the “6 Nomikae Rules”, a set of six simple and body-friendly drinking tips to help women shift toward healthier drinking habits.
Initiatives to prevent Under 20 Drinking
Japan enacted the "Law Prohibiting Underage Drinking" in 1922, banning the consumption of alcoholic beverages by people under 20 years of age. Underage drinking damages brain cells and has a host of other significant, adverse impacts on the body and mind. The law also provides for penalties against parents and guardians who fail to curb underage drinking and others selling or providing alcoholic beverages to people under 20. Underage drinking is a serious problem, and it is important for young people to understand the risks and the adults around them to prevent alcohol from damaging their immature bodies and minds.
"STOP! Under 20 Drinking" Project
This project was launched by the Brewers Association of Japan in 2005 with the goal of preventing people under 20 to drink, and Kirin has been involved since the beginning. All of our advertising and publicity materials for alcoholic beverages bear the "STOP! Under 20 Drinking" mark, and twice a year, we use POP displays at points of purchase, transit advertising and vision advertising to educate the public about the need to prevent Under 20 Drinking.
Contest for Schools on the Prevention of Under 20 Drinking Curricula
As a member of the Brewers Association of Japan, Kirin has been involved in the "Nationwide Contest for the Development of Posters, Slogans and School Awards to Discourage Underage Drinking" since 2002, part of an effort to encourage junior and senior high schools around Japan to be aware of the need to prevent underage drinking. In 2017, the name was changed to the "Contest for Schools on the Prevention of Under 20 Drinking Curricula" and coverage was expanded to include elementary schools. Activities focus on content developed at the individual school (elementary, junior high, senior high) level. Its objectives are to encourage schools and communities to look frankly at under 20 drinking and how it can be prevented, and to understand the health damages it can cause.
Initiatives of Lion
At Lion, opportunities are being provided to think about responsible drinking by stating the pure alcohol content on the container, conveying information about the amount of alcohol consumed, and conducting awareness programs.
