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The story
On October 7, Japan’s Fair Trade Commission launched a forced investigation into four major beer makers — Asahi, Kirin, Suntory, and Sapporo — on suspicion of violating the Antimonopoly Act (unjust restraint of trade) by colluding to raise the prices of beer-type beverages. The next day, October 8, former TV Asahi employee Tamagawa Toru addressed the issue on TV Asahi’s “Hanetori Shinichi Morning Show,” explaining the alleged motive behind the cartel as “because they clearly know the cheaper one sells better.” On 5ch, while some users voiced suspicion about networks’ reporting stance given that beer makers are major TV sponsors, others called Tamagawa’s remark “just stating the obvious,” and the thread spread into debate over the taste and pricing differences between brands.
Tamagawa Toru breaks down price-fixing suspicions among the four major beer makers: “Because they clearly know the cheaper one sells better”
Former TV Asahi employee Tamagawa Toru, who serves as a commentator, appeared on the network’s “Hanetori Shinichi Morning Show” (weekdays, 8:00 AM) on the 8th and addressed the alleged price-fixing cartel among the four major beer makers.
The Fair Trade Commission conducted a forced investigation on the 7th into Asahi Beer, Kirin Beer, Suntory, and Sapporo Beer on suspicion of violating the Antimonopoly Act (unjust restraint of trade), alleging the four companies formed a cartel aimed at raising the prices of beer-type beverages (including low-malt “happoshu” and third-category beer substitutes).
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
He's just breaking it down simply for the old folks watching TV
If anything, a price cartel is actually good news for the companies that *can* compete on taste
Running that many commercials just shows how much they're raking in — though maybe TV ad rates have dropped and gotten cheaper
You sure tear into LDP lawmakers' gaffes hard enough!
The ones nitpicking everything here are the childish ones…
And on top of that they splash out on big-name celebrities for the ads — guess it's boycott everything except Orion Beer at this rate
Beer doesn't taste all that different between brands and hasn't really progressed much over the years, so they're hoarding talented people with high salaries who'd be better off thriving in some other industry.
Japan's probably the only country with this many beer commercials on TV, right?
You're seriously saying beer doesn't taste that different?
Apparently they'd been warned about it in advance
They've already raised beer prices. Former happoshu went up, but the ones that were beer from the start were supposed to go down — yet Super Dry and Ichiban Shibori both went up too. No wonder the government's furious. This is basically a warning shot: "pull this stunt right after a consumption tax cut and you'll end up with a record, so be ready" (slang nod to getting a criminal record)
Yep. People have stayed satisfied with it forever, so as a product it's basically perfected.
That's exactly why they can pour insane money into advertising.
Near my workplace there are almost 10 and the prices are all over the map — naturally the cheap ones fill up fast
If anything, the real problem is that they created a weird, Japan-only product like "third-category beer" in the first place, and the market actually went along with it. If you're going to drink some engineered "functional" alcohol drink, you're better off not drinking at all.
That's a cocktail. You're thinking of the tube they use in hospitals — a catheter (カクテル/cocktail vs カテーテル/catheter mix-up)
Because it's a blended beer. Malt's shifted over to being a premium beer anyway. These days, when I'm drinking at home, it's Ichiban Shibori, no question.
Well, it's a crime committed by major corporations, so of course it's news? Though admittedly it's not exactly entertainment/sports material lol
Background and Key Points of This Topic
Beer-type beverages have been subject to a phased liquor tax reform rolling out since 2023, under which the tax-rate gap between beer, low-malt happoshu, and third-category beer substitutes has been narrowing, with rates expected to be largely unified by October 2026. The focus of this case is whether the Fair Trade Commission views the price adjustments the companies made in step with this tax change as having been coordinated among themselves. The thread split between those praising Tamagawa’s explanation and those questioning the sharpness of TV reporting on this, given that networks themselves receive substantial ad revenue from beer makers. It’s worth noting this is still only at the “forced investigation” stage — a confirmed Antimonopoly Act violation has not been established. The exact scale of each company’s price hikes and which products were affected were not spelled out in the thread, so individual comments reflect general consumer reaction rather than confirmed fact.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “[TV] Tamagawa Toru breaks down price-fixing suspicions among the four major beer makers: “Because they clearly know the cheaper one sells better”.”
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