Japan liquor businesses turn to non-alcoholic drinks to attract Gen Z

Customers drink cocktails made with no alcohol during a photo opportunity at Sumadori Bar in Tokyo. - Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters): Bucking the age-old stereotype of hard-drinking college students, Manaka Okamoto considers the next day's schedule before cracking open an alcoholic beverage.

"If I have to get up early, and I think 'Oh, I should hold off on drinking,' then I go for a non-alcohol drink to get a sense of alcohol when I'm drinking alone," Okamoto, 22, said at a Tokyo restaurant.