Japan Fair Trade Commission Raids Four Major Beer Makers

The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) conducted simultaneous raids on October 7, 2026, targeting the headquarters and facilities of Japan's four largest beer manufacturers: Asahi Breweries, Kirin Brewery, Sapporo Breweries, and Suntory Spirits. The four companies control approximately 90% of a domestic market valued at more than $10 billion annually.

Investigators are probing potential breaches of the Antimonopoly Act, specifically whether the firms coordinated price hikes in October 2022 and April 2025. Authorities allege that sales executives held secret meetings to synchronize the timing and size of wholesale price increases, often coinciding with monthly gatherings of the Brewers Association of Japan. While the brewers previously attributed these hikes to rising costs for raw materials, energy, and logistics, the JFTC is treating the probe as a criminal investigation due to the broad impact on consumers.

All four companies have pledged full cooperation with the investigation, with Kirin and Suntory issuing public apologies. Following the raids, share prices for Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo fell by nearly 4 percent. The JFTC may file criminal complaints, issue fines, and order business practice improvements if the companies are found to have breached anti-monopoly laws. This action follows a similar investigation earlier this year involving six major Japanese ice cream companies suspected of price collusion.