The company is to cease operations at its brewery in Hokkaido, in northern Japan, by the end of March, while its Saitama brewery, to the north of Tokyo, will close after summer 2003.
JAPAN: Sapporo to close two breweries
Japanese brewer, Sapporo Breweries Ltd, has announced that it is to rationalise its production operations, reducing its total number of breweries from eight to six. The company said it was aiming to raise operating efficiency at a time of low demand for beer. It said the reorganisation would reduce its production costs by Y5 billion a year.