In Japan, anyone wishing to participate in the sale of alcoholic beverages must obtain a license for each point of sale from the tax office responsible for the point of sale. The general type license “Ippan shurui kourigyo menyo” is the one that allows the retailer to sell all kinds of alcoholic beverages in a physical store. For distance selling (online or by mail order), he must acquire a special license “tsushin hanbai shurui kourigyo menkyo”. The 2014 Annual Report on Health, Work and Well-being, entitled “Towards achieving a society for health and longevity” (published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), tells us that the number of men per year (do they die?). The same report also tells us that among the “specific measures to take care of health”, the reduction of alcohol and smoking by “diet and nutrition”, “revision / sleep / rest”, in the Chinese archives of the third century, Chinese historians have described the inhabitants of Yamatai (Yamatai-koku or Yamato no kuni – 邪馬台国), the ancient Japanese kingdom. as very sensitive to alcohol. The said archives report that the Japanese “love strong drinks” and that excessive alcohol consumption, even at funerals, was all the rage. I had to present ID to come to nightclubs in Japan from time to time, but this seems to be more of a standard policy for all club followers than being singled out for a pitiful amount of facial hair. “Remember that at any age it is important to always drink in moderation” The France and Japan have in common a certain tolerance for alcohol consumption, both for its festive part and for its contribution to alleviating the social pressure on its citizens. Among many others, the following two excerpts give a fairly accurate idea of the resistance of each of the countries to go further with the restrictions imposed by health and safety requirements. In addition to the above legal provisions, there are voluntary standards in Japan entitled “Voluntary Standards for the Promotion of Alcoholic Beverages and Information on the Packaging of Alcoholic Beverages”.
They were developed by a committee representing the eight alcohol industry associations, including the Japan Wines and Spirits Importers Association (Association 協会). These standards cover not only advertising of alcoholic beverages, but also information on containers containing alcoholic beverages and carbonated beverages with an alcoholic taste. They were first published in 1988 and have since been edited 14 times (see their English translation on the following website: youshu-yunyu.org/english/self-regulatory_code/index.html) Let`s address the important issues from the beginning! At home, this expatriate received an identity document at the time of purchase, when he was in his twenties. I was never asked to show any form of identification when buying drinks in Japan (yes, check me out)! What can we say about it, because it took me 30 years to start looking like a patinated adult, even from a distance? Are you afraid of our hosts asking a stranger for an ID card? The assumption that because we have done it so far, there is a good chance that we are “old age”? A simple and understandable lack of willingness to get bogged down in awkward interaction? Probably a mix of all three. Anyway, I don`t know of any friend in Japan who has ever been subjected to the stigma of an alcohol ID check, so the baby drinker may be able to breathe easily on these shores. The attachment of Japanese culture to sake (the alcohol usually mentioned) manifests itself both in a general tolerance of the excesses it evokes and in the practice of serving the endless partner without expressing desire. Walking at night in any metropolis without meeting a drunk and fainting person is almost impossible. For good reason, drunkenness is a common practice that is not a crime in Japan and is even tolerated by the police if not accepted.
During a nonikai, for example, “it`s absolutely normal and it`s not a problem to be completely drunk. Similarly, things that have been said or done in these circumstances are not taken seriously, forgiven or ignored when they return to work. There are therefore sometimes open and emotional manifestations (exhibitionism, insults, tears…) between colleagues who overcome social or hierarchical barriers that would never take place in a professional context and in the workplace. The phenomenon is called Bureikō (無礼講) in Japanese, which literally means “session without politeness”. A symbolic term! Alcohol brings down the masks of the Japanese. Not that we are not increasingly subject to superficial age controls when buying alcohol in Japan, but the human element is largely removed. In convenience stores these days, when products like alcohol and cigarettes are scanned, a huge “Age Check” button appears on the touchscreen that you need to touch before the transaction can be completed.