Japan's competition regulator has raided the offices of the country's four largest beer makers over suspicions that they colluded to raise prices, in what media reports describe as the first investigation of its kind in the nation's food and beverage industry.

Officials from the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) searched Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo and Suntory on Wednesday. Together the companies control more than 90% of the domestic beer market, and their products are a fixture in supermarkets, convenience stores, bars and restaurants nationwide. All four confirmed the searches and said they would cooperate fully. Kirin said it took the matter "very seriously" and that the financial impact had not yet been determined. Suntory apologised for any concern caused to customers and business partners. The JFTC's secretary general, Hiroo Iwanari, confirmed that an investigation was under way but declined to give details, saying a preliminary review was in progress. Shares in Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo fell after the news; Suntory's beer business is not publicly listed.

The companies are suspected of violating Japan's Antimonopoly Act. Japanese media, citing unnamed sources, reported that sales managers and other executives may have met secretly over a long period to coordinate the timing and size of price rises, which ranged from several yen to several dozen yen at a time. The Japan Times reported that the inquiry focuses on increases in April last year and October 2022, while the Mainichi Shimbun said prices also rose in October 2023. The firms have cited higher costs for raw materials, energy and transport. Regulators are reported to suspect, however, that the brewers bypassed normal price competition to protect their profits. Media reports said the JFTC regards the case as particularly serious because of its potential effect on consumers, and that it could lead to a criminal complaint.

The case matters because beer remains a major consumer product even as drinking habits change. Alcohol consumption in Japan has fallen in recent decades, driven by depopulation and shifting preferences among younger people, yet sales still reached ¥3.8tn ($24.3bn) in 2024. Beer made up about 30% of that total, while happoshu, a low-malt beer, and so-called third-category beers, which contain little or no malt, accounted for a combined 11.9%.

The raids also come amid wider scrutiny of pricing in Japan, where households have been dealing with rising costs. Three months ago, the JFTC searched six ice-cream makers, including Meiji and Ezaki Glico, the maker of Pocky, over alleged cartel activity. No wrongdoing has been established in either case.