Non-Alcoholic Beer Rules in Japan
In Japan, a drink counts as liquor (酒類) when it contains 1% alcohol by volume or more, under Article 2 of the Liquor Tax Act. Selling liquor needs a licence from the local tax office, so a drink under 1% falls outside that licensing rule.
Checked on 2 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice: laws change, so confirm with the regulator before you rely on a rule.
The rules in Japan at a glance
- At what alcohol level does a drink count as alcoholic in Japan?
- 1% ABV or more is liquor (酒類) under the Liquor Tax Act.
- What may a label call a non-alcoholic beer in Japan?
- No legal term. The industry's joint code uses ノンアルコール (non-alcohol) only for drinks at 0.00%.
- Who may sell or buy non-alcoholic beer in Japan?
- No liquor licence is needed below 1%. The industry code asks shops to check age (20 and over), but this is voluntary.
The detail, with sources
Japanese law does not define non-alcoholic beer. The term comes from a voluntary code shared by nine national alcohol-industry associations, last revised on 1 July 2026. The code calls a drink a ノンアルコール飲料 (non-alcohol beverage) only if it is at 0.00%, tastes like liquor and is meant for people aged 20 and over. It sets no term for drinks between 0.00% and 1%.
Under the same code, these drinks must say on the container that they are for people aged 20 and over, must not use the brand name of an alcoholic drink, and should be shelved and sold with an age check, as liquor is. These are industry commitments rather than law. We found no law that stops the sale of drinks under 1% to people under 20.
- Primary source: Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 6 of 1953), Articles 2 and 9, e-Gov
- Primary source: Voluntary Standards on the Advertising and Promotion of Liquor and the Labelling of Liquor Containers, Liaison Council on Drinking, revised 1 July 2026 (Japanese)
- Primary source: Act on the Prohibition of Drinking by Persons under Twenty (Act No. 20 of 1922), e-Gov
Common questions
Does a 0.0% label mean there is no alcohol at all?
Not necessarily. Beijing's market regulator said in August 2026 that a "0.0%vol" label means less than 0.05% by volume, which is the limit of what instruments can measure. South Korea's food ministry tests drinks labelled 무알코올 against a limit of under 0.001% ethanol. Japan's industry code uses "non-alcohol" only for drinks at 0.00% but does not say how that figure is measured.
Can minors buy non-alcoholic beer in Japan or South Korea?
In both countries, the legal bans on selling alcohol to young people apply to liquor, which starts at 1% alcohol by volume, and we found no law that extends them to drinks below that line. Japan's industry code still asks makers to label these drinks for people aged 20 and over and asks shops to check age, and South Korean labels must say "for adults".
Can a non-alcoholic beer be called beer on the label?
It depends on the country. Malaysia's Food Regulations allow the words beer, lager, ale or stout only for a drink with more than 2% alcohol, and a beer with the alcohol separated out must be labelled "dealcoholised". Japan's industry code bars a non-alcohol drink from using the brand name of an alcoholic drink. China's beer standard, by contrast, counts non-alcohol beer as a kind of beer.
Elsewhere in East Asia
Japan and South Korea count a drink as liquor from 1% alcohol by volume, and Hong Kong from just above 1.2%. Taiwan draws the line at 0.5%, and mainland China's beer standard puts non-alcohol beer at 0.5% or less. Below those lines, the rules on labels and age come mostly from food regulators and industry codes rather than from alcohol law.
| Country or territory | A drink counts as alcoholic from |
|---|---|
| South Korea | 1% ABV or more is liquor (주류) under the Liquor Tax Act. |
| Mainland China | We found no single legal line. The national beer standard counts non-alcohol beer as a kind of beer. |
| Hong Kong | More than 1.2% ethyl alcohol by volume is liquor. |
| Taiwan | More than 0.5% ABV is an alcohol product (酒). |
Across the whole region
- All 27 countries and territories in one table
- What halal authorities have published
- What regulators say about drink-driving laws and non-alcoholic beer
- The same rows as JSON or CSV, free to reuse with credit
If a rule for Japan has changed, or a source no longer says what we say it does, write to getsoma.store@gmail.com and we will correct it.
Who publishes this page
SOMA is a non-alcoholic craft beer brand founded in Bangalore, India, and its beers are under 0.5% ABV. Our first deliveries will be in Bangalore, and we do not ship outside India. We keep these pages because the rules on non-alcoholic beer differ a great deal between countries, and many pages online state them without a source.
To learn how non-alcoholic beer is made and what is in it, read Non-Alcoholic Beer 101.