Beer & plebian product differentiation.

This is a photo I took weeks ago.

Three cans of almost beer  for tax purposes - malt reduced beer AKA happoshu.  Japanese breweries, in an effort to circumvent tax laws that tax according to malt content, have developed a range of low malt, same alcohol beer.   

It used to puzzle me that the decorated seasonal cans were always with happoshu rather than regular beer.  I've deduced that "real" beer drinkers buy according to preferred taste; happoshu drinkers buy on price. Faced with an undecorated can at the same price as a decorated can, the happoshu drinker, with no product loyalty goes for a tin that resonates with them.

In the lead up to New Year the competition was fierce - from left to right

Kirin's  Nadeshiko can - (the Japanese women's world cup soccer champions),  Asahi's Tokyo Sky tree which opens this year,  and Kirin's winter look.  The winter look beer came out in October... important to be ahead of the game...  

Bring on the cherry blossom cans, I'm sick of winter already.