The culture of alcohol
May 19th, 2007 by Wil Robinson
What is your answer when asked: “What are your hobbies?”
Probably depends on whether you’re a woman or a man. I’ll go out on a limb and make a sweeping generalization: In America, neither men nor women would ever publicly include “drinking” among favorite things to do with their free time.
Of course there are the exceptions, but even then there is still a stigma attached to drinking to the point of “getting drunk.” As evidence, consider what situation is generally more socially embarrassing in America - getting a DUI or vomiting in public? Not sure? (Hint: It should be the situation in which you endanger the innocent lives of others on the road…not regurgitating your dinner in the gutter outside of the bar.)
In reality, the drinking cultures in Japan and America each reflect larger differences in how the society is structured and functions.
Different cultures see things different ways. Every American is probably familiar with or has witnessed the stereotypical Japanese businessman, staggering out of the karaoke bar in his standard black suit, having had too much sake and beer and, by way of American standards, having embarrassed himself by not being able to handle his liquor.
But who has set the scale upon which to measure acceptable drinking standards?
Sure, he may have been staggering, and his speech may have been slurred, but how many of them hop into a car and drive while under the influence? (Drunk drivers in the U.S. are arrested at a rate fives times higher than in Japan) How many Japanese people have you seen pick a fight in a bar? How many angry drunken Japanese men have approached you and attempted to intimidate or threaten you late at night?
In Japan, there is no such thing as an “angry drunk.” Drinking and driving, like anywhere in the world, is an unfortunate reality, but in Japan at least there is no question that a DUI is more taboo than vomiting in the gutter outside of a bar.
Think back to the last time you ventured out to a bar or restaurant with friends and enjoyed some alcoholic beverages. After an hour or two of drinks while engaged in lively conversation, did anyone in your group declare proudly that they were “drunk?” When directly asked, did the men front an aura of machismo and assure their friends that “they can handle their alcohol,” and that while they might be “buzzed,” they weren’t drunk?
One of the first questions I ask my English students, in order to help them relax and get their mind switched from Japanese to English, as well as to get to know them, is: “What do you do in your free time?”
The answers? More than half - both women and men - list “drinking” at the top of their list, if not the only thing. These are not “alcoholics” as the Western world knows them. They do not waste away their lives staring at the bottom of the bottle. They have respectable careers - doctors, nurses, sales reps, financial advisors, engineers, computer technicians and software designers, government.
The drinking culture in Japan is part of life. It is okay to get drunk. It’s part of life; part of family; and part of business.
And business may be where Japanese people, contrary to American cultural beliefs, learn how to handle their alcohol.
A recent conversation I had brought this to my attention. My friend is a professor of social science at the nearby university. Yet another Japanese person who includes drinking among his hobbies, we were discussing the differences in drinking culture between the United States and Japan.
He offered the following theory:
The enkai, or work party, is an intricate part of Japanese life. Work parties are organized frequently, and are always open to everyone at the office - this always includes the boss, manager, etc. It’s not uncommon for offices to have a work party once a month.
At these enkai’s, the colleagues usually visit an izakaiya, or Japanese-style restaurant. They eat and drink, always with the boss at the table, always aware that any embarrassing thing they say or do might come back to haunt them on Monday morning.
This differs from America, where free-time (especially while drinking) is not shared with the boss, nor most employees. Instead, distinct cliques form of employees who tend to hide their weekend activities from their employer.
Since drinking becomes part of work, people quickly learn how to handle their alcohol, yet are not afraid to enjoy themselves and enjoy drinking. Thus, responsible drinking is learned and ingrained through the employer-employee relationship.
Alcohol is a dangerous drug, no doubt. But perhaps the biggest danger comes not from the alcoholic content of the bottle, but of the lack of responsibility that many Americans feel when they drink.
If Americans want to really address the serious issues of alcoholism - violence, drinking and driving, underage drinking, abusive relationships, college binge drinking and others - starting at the individual and their own responsibility to the community that surrounds them is a good place to begin. Responsible drinking doesn’t necessarily mean limiting the quantity ingested.
Because the difference in drinking cultures between the United States and Japan goes deeper than a pint of beer.
It is merely a symptom of a much bigger problem that threatens the foundations of our society.
It’s a reflection of the struggle between the excesses of personal individualism and the demands of communal responsibility.
Tags: individualism, alcohol, drunk driving, collectivism, culture
We are in agreement. The American culture is driven by marketing and profit. Americans are reminded every day that; happiness comes from a pill, stomach relief comes from a pill, sexual prowess, pains are alleviated by pills, you can gain or loose weight with a pill, fix your heart, cholesterol, skin conditions, bowels, etc. The original ‘numbing of the human mind’ came from alcohol and herbal hallucinogens - so, no wonder that drinking cultures make global decisions through the fog of drugs. This may be why they cannot relate to Muslim countries who disavow alcohol. Numb is not always good …
“It’s a reflection of the struggle between the excesses of personal individualism and the demands of communal responsibility.”
Great post, Wil. That last line hits the nail, square on the head. Americans, by and large, refuse to meet the demands of communal responsibility. That will ultimately lead to our demise. I believe it is a learned thing, taught by the actions of our politicians and corporate leaders. No longer do people think about the impact their actions have on society at-large, only ‘what’s in it for me’.
You are fortunate, indeed, to be living in Japan, a polite and communal society of people, during these most trying times in the U.S..
Good to have you back, my friend, your postings are missed.
I’ve never had an alcoholic drink !
Actually, in Saudi Arabia it is not allowed. Even when I went abroad I didn’t.
I’m sure it should be a fantastic experience, however, I hope I never try in future too!
Boss Kitty-
Thanks for your comment…I think you are right, “numb is not always good.” There is definitely a difference between how society views the elixir that soothes the mind and the pill that eases the anxiety. If one is produced by a manufacturing company, it’s considered “acceptable,” while the other is often considered morally corrupt.
Brother Tim-
Alas, not all is well in Japan. They may be polite and communal, but that doesn’t stop them from largely being xenophobic. But more on that in a future post…
Yasser-
I’m glad you have never compromised your values and consumed alcohol. I certainly wouldn’t classify it as “fantastic,” though.
Actually, drinking alcohol - both in Japan and the United States (and probably Europe) - is more of a social habit. It’s something people do as part of engaging others in conversation, friendship and camaraderie. I think every culture has found one way or another to do this - and usually food or drink has something to do with it. I would guess coffee or tea plays a big role in parts of the Middle East and South Asia.
I drink very rarely. It’s something I stopped doing, except for the occasional glass of wine during a nice dinner out, when I was married to an alcoholic. If I drank, he drank more. He seemed to think that by drinking with him, I was accepting his overindulgence.
I agree that drinking, and it’s possible drawbacks, hinge on individualism vs. communal responsibility. The alcoholic is stuck on the first and has no control over his or her actions regarding the second. Perhaps in Japan, people don’t become alcoholics, though I doubt that.
In America, the overindulgence in alcohol is a societal scourge, particularly because it’s encouraged. Many, if not most, cases of spousal and child abuse occur while the abuser is drunk. You may also be right, Wil, that there’s a societal and cultural difference between Japan and America in the way that people react to alcohol after consuming it. Here in America, we’re used to “angry drunks.” They’re very common. But we accept their bad behavior by blaming it on their physiology and the booze. We’ve made a sad mistake there, I think.
Though it’s been, oh, a hundred years since I had any, I think marijuana is a much gentler drug, if drugs are to be tolerated and marketed in American society. People who smoke pot become introspective, or giggly, or “mellow,” to use the old hippy word. They don’t hit their kids or their spouses. They don’t start barfights. All that activity is just too much trouble, and they’re too easily distracted while they’re high.
There are certainly downsides to marijuana, too — everyone knows (or used to) the pothead who’s been smoking so much, for so long, that he can barely function anymore. Smokers shouldn’t drive under the influence for the same reasons that drinkers shouldn’t. Then there’s the argument that smoking pot leads to the use of harder drugs. That, like alcoholism, is an individual mental issue, in my opinion. I know a lot of people who used to smoke pot but never went on to meth or heroin or LSD. Finally there’s the issue of smoking, lung and heart damage.
But alcohol, at least in America, often results in injured families, liver disease and other illnesses, and yes, drunk driving. I think it’s a far worse drug.
Here I go again, blabbing on. Thanks for your thoughtful post — I’ve missed you, too.
Interesting cultural analysis. Drinking is so much a part of the social identity of many peoples, but I suppose it’s how they handle themselves when drunk — and how much they drink — that matters most.
Alcohol is quite dangerous when consumed in excess, something that many need to keep in mind next time they feel like going on a binge…
What I think about when I read this post is the lack of responsibility for the SELF as well as the community in American culture. All the pills sold as wonder drugs instead of useful-when-needed. “Here, let something ELSE take care of you.”
It’s why I can respect Western religions, but not when they are used to pacify oneself, to make it all okay, and to say someone else is always responsible for you in the end.
It’s why we think that the pathway to BEING our dreams is first in ACQUIRING what it is we need to get those dreams … commodification of life in general. Being happy comes with a price tag according to capitolism. Happiness is outside ourself, evidently.
So I could go on but that’s what I see in the lack of responsible drinking in the US. There is no base for responsibility for the self, let alone for the community.
All cultures have their issues, and I’m only familiar with those of the US - so whether you’re writing about issues or graces of another culture, Wil, thanks for writing.