Unfortunately, heavy drinking and being a major player in Japanese business usually go hand in hand. Opting to eschew nights out is still often a recipe for not being as effective as you could be due how a lot of the business landscape works.

Everyone who I know who is crushing it with new business is a drinker. Everyone who has essentially "quiet quit" or doesn't care about being effective at all costs basically doesn't drink. There's a few exceptions but generally, I find this to be almost always true.

If you want to be a top performer in Japanese business, nights out are a must. The lack of alcohol taxation revenue is just a symptom of the fact that more and more young people don't care to do anything more than they need to at their jobs.