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Teetotaling in Japan
What to do When you Don’t Want to Drink
Today’s post is one of those articles that hits home pretty hard. As anyone who has visited Japan in the past can attest, this country is very much like heaven on earth for tipplers. Regardless of whether it’s 2:00 PM or 2:00 AM, Japan makes it worryingly easy to imbibe adult beverages. Of course, this is even more true in the major cities like Tokyo that operate 24/7. Between the ubiquitous convenience stores like 7-Eleven that never seem to close and the dizzyingly numerous collection of watering holes, another drink is always a few minutes away. With alcohol so prevalent, is it any surprise that the national male pastime in Japan is getting absolutely wasted and then passing out on the stairs of Shinjuku Station?
Now depending on when you ask me, you’ll find that I am either an adamant adherent of this cult of booze or completely abstaining from consuming a single drop. While my close friends and co-workers certainly razz me incessantly, honestly, it’s all but impossible to strike a proper balance here between the two extremes. I’ve written about how to navigate Japan’s drinking culture before but it’s generally an all-or-nothing game, at least up until the point of sickness. If you’re participating in the drinking, it’s flat out rude to refuse another round. Quite frankly, it’s a miracle that the Japanese manage to live as long as they do. Chain smoking aside for a second, you’d think they’d all be dropping dead from alcohol-related liver disease by now.
As ashamed as I am to say this, the only way that I’ve been able to work my way through this tricky maze of frat boy like behavior is to become a total prude. Given my flip-flopping behavior and the fact that everyone knows I have previously partaken in the debauchery though, I still get my fare share of pressure. Alas, it seems like Japan simply won’t accept Donny the teetotaler; health and wellness goals be damned. Luckily for you, the reader, though, my precarious predicament with alcohol has led me to develop strategies for tactfully navigating the local drinking culture without faux pas. If you evoke the following game plan, you too will be able to dodge a drink like water off a duck’s back.
