As higher taxes on alcohol came into effect, the price of happoshu, the Japanese low-malt beer, has risen in many retailers this week. The price of a 350-ml can of low-malt happoshu was raised in some stores to 145 yen, up 10 yen, while the price of a 500-ml can was raised to 201 yen, a 16 yen increase. The tax hikes will not target regular beer, thus narrowing the price gap between beer and happoshu, whose selling point has been its low price tag.

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