Japanese wine bath draws crowds despite rising costs
STORY: This is a Japanese wine bath
where visitors step in a pool of French Beaujolais Nouveau
"The smell is good, and it feels warm on your skin. It feels great, it's relaxing. It feels special."
Japan is a major consumer of Beaujolais Nouveau
The nation imported about 3.8 million bottles in 2020
accounting for nearly half of the French region's exports
Source: Inter Beaujolais
But importing wine from France is becoming costly as Japanese yen weakens
Brewing giant Kirin upped its recommended retail price for a 750 ml Beaujolais bottle
to 4,310 yen ($31), more than double from 2021
(Hazuki Iizuka, visitor)
"It's the case for wine and alcohol in general that the prices have increased. As someone in the hospitality industry working with alcohol, it's a harsh blow from a business perspective, so it's worrying."
