Japan wants to promote new concepts related to drinking and marriage in order to revive its economy

The government of Japan wants to boost tax revenues. It has launched a campaign named ‘Sake Viva’ to promote the demand for varieties of Japanese wine. The intention is to help boost the industry. A pastime like drinking was natural with the previous generations and the government wants to revive it. Hence, the government has appealed to youth in the age group 20 to 39 to evolve innovative methods to revive the drinking habit among their peers. The range of products include sake (rice wine), shochu, whisky, beer or wine. It seems in 1995, people consumed an annual average of 100 litres per adult. This has declined to 75 litres per adult in 2020. Obviously, tax revenue from alcohol sales have also dropped from 5 per cent in 1980 to just 1.7 percent in 2020. Japan urges youth to drink, marry - all for the country and economy. This competition would cover every possible method based on new lifestyles and changes in tastes due to various reasons apart from new sales techniques. The final presentation of the ideas will take place in November in Tokyo.

Marriage is another worry for the Japanese government. This matter is personal to the people but declining birth rate is a matter of concern for the government. When the number of babies born in Japan fell to a record low of 865,000 in 2020, the government realized the need to address the issue. Local governments used to operate matchmaking services for its residents. In 2020, some local governments upgraded their systems. They wanted to harness the power of artificial intelligence and form better matches based on criteria of not only age and income but also hobbies and values. Japan now faces a dwindling workforce and is trying to boost its population. This is necessary because low birth rate would also mean a void in the availability of caregivers for the surge of elderly population in the future.

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#UnitedUtilities #cryptosporidium #Preston #Boil #Drinking #Water United Utilities has asked all customers in northwest London to boil the water they need for drinking, preparing food and brushing their teeth "as a precaution" because of fear of a bug called cryptosporidium. It can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting and traces of it was detected during routine tests at a water treatment works in Preston.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 7 August 2015.

Residents of Blackpool, Preston, Chorley, Fylde, Wyre and South Ribble are affected and, while the supplier maintains that it is still safe to wash clothes and bathe as normal, but had added a recommendation that dishwashers must be run as hot as possible (65 degrees or higher).
The warning will continue to remain in place throughout the weekend, and could extend into early next week depending on how fast the traces of cryptosporidium are eliminated.
United Utilities has indicated that investigators were looking into how the bug found its way into water at the treatment works.
Cryptosporidium gives rise to a gastrointestinal illness called cryptosporidiosis that can last from a week to three weeks in healthy individuals, but "can be prolonged and life threatening in severely immunocompromised individuals". (Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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