Alcohol In Japanese Society.

Ricky Lopez

Roberts

04/26/2002

Alcohol in Japanese Society

The teenage boy walks down the street with a few yen in his pockets towards a large,

softly glowing vending machine outside of a local grocery store. He's thirsty and pulls the coins

from his pockets and slides them within a machine. He leans down pressing a button, selecting

his beverage, and it plops down into the bin. The cold, metal can of Kirin beer is picked up,

popped open, and drank from as the boy walks back down the street from where he came

from. How is it possible that there are no ID checks, security, or control over the beverage?

In Japan, it is quite legal for alcohol to be sold to the common public without any kind of lawful

control over it. In fact, in restaurants and bars in Japan, it's legally not required to check IDs.

NASA Satellite Image of Japan Captured March 11, 2...

Japan Fisheries cooperative

Drunk Bee

In Japan, whether business or social gatherings it's quite common for alcohol to be the

main drink ordered. In fact, many business meetings take place while both parties are inebriated

and rare parties, if any, are without a large supply of Japanese beer, wine, or sake. Why is alcohol

such an integral part of a modern society? There are a few answers to this question that have been

explained by social studies and observations. Some people think it is because of the high stress

and pressure put on the business world, while others say it is due to the carefree lifestyle of social

groups and the attitude taken by the law and government towards alcohol in general. For

example, it's not illegal to be drunk in public as long as you don't make a nuisance of yourself.

Concerning health issues, the problems caused by excessive drinking are...