I’ve started learning that drinking alcohol is very big in Japan, to the point that the government has campaigned in favor of more people drinking. I hope to move to Japan soon but I myself don’t drink alcohol at all. I have very personal reasons for this that I don’t want to get into, but I will not drink under any circumstances. I do want to make Japanese friends in Japan and am moving to the Osaka region where I heard people are more friendly. I don’t mind being around other people that drink as long as they aren’t getting too crazy, but if I have a choice I’d prefer to hangout with other people that avoid alcohol like me. And I don’t want to be forced/peer pressured into drinking, I would get up and leave at that point. My main question is how hard is it to get along socially for someone who does not drink? Am I going to be a social outcast?
15 comments
Just don’t drink? Even if you *did* drink, you probably wouldn’t want to hang out with crazy drunks anyway, no? It’s perfectly possible to have a social life and not drink.
It’s fine. You can order non alcoholic drinks at work nomikais and no one will be the wiser.
We’ve had non alcoholic drinkers at work nomikais before and it has never been an issue.
Been here 9 years, don’t drink either.
It’s never been an issue.
FYI, there’s a lot of Japanese people who don’t drink at all due to low tolerance. And also, most don’t tend to push you to drink if you say you don’t (there will still be a few that do but y’know, they exist everywhere).
I lived in Japan for a year and even joined in on nomikais even though I don’t drink for religion purposes. No one forced I drink. Some were curious why but that’s about it. Only one person suggested I try but they backed out when I say no a few times. You should be fine
The only real problem a non-drinker faces is having to pay the same amount as drinkers at group dinners. Either through splitting the bill equally or being forced to pay for all-you-can-drink despite not using it.
I know a handful of people, both Japanese and non-Japanese, who don’t drink and it’s never been an issue. If you do run into someone who tries to push you to drink, you probably don’t want to be friends with that person anyways.
Not a big deal. I drink, but very little. Plenty of people order oolong tea or similar if they don’t want to drink. I’ve never seen anyone make a big deal out of it.
My SO and many of my co-workers don’t drink. I’ve also largely stopped drinking at the enkais as well (mainly because I don’t feel comfortable drinking around some of the ones who are drinking). Most of the non-drinkers just have either non-alcoholic beers or tea.
It’s not a big deal. The media tried to push young people to drink more, but I didn’t see much of a change.
There’s plenty of people who go drinking who either don’t drink or are driving home (with someone or not) and decide not to drink. There’s also many Japanese people who can’t drink alcohol, either intolerance or very low tolerance. It all comes down to either going drinking or how you say you don’t drink. If you’re invited out to an enkai from work, you can explain you don’t drink and not go, or if you go just keep to your no-alcohol drinks. There’s *always* and section for no-alcohol on the menu.
Only issue, IMO, is when you go with folk doing all-you-can-drink and you’re just sipping coke. Some places do cheaper no-alcohol menus, but sometimes they force you to pay the same as the alcohol menu.
Social outcast… no, unless everyone you knows like to go to bars to hang out, and you don’t.
I have many friends that don’t drink. You will still find them at drinking parties having soft drinks. It’s no big deal.
Friends who peer pressure you into drinking when you don’t want to are not real friends.
I’m a complete teetotaler and I’m loving life in Japan. Alcohol not necessary to thrive here.
As others have said, it’s not really an issue.
And it someone asks you why, just say it’s an allergy. That’ll shut the conversation down.
Totally fine. Lots of Japanese people don’t drink for various reasons, too.
I know several people, both foreign and Japanese, who do not drink. My husband didn’t drink for about 18 months. It is literally never an issue.
>to the point that the government has campaigned in favor of more people drinking
They tried to launch a campaign because drinking has dropped significantly during the pandemic and as a result so has tax revenue on alcohol, why do people only read the headlines.
It’s true that there is a big drinking culture in Japan and especially here in Osaka. It’s a powerful tool for socializing in a country of 建前. But unless you work for an extremely old-school company with an asshole boss that still does アルハラ no one will ever force you to drink.
It’s even possible for you to normally go to 飲み会 and just drink non-alcoholic drinks. Someone at our company does that and no one cares. And I imagine your friends will care even less.
personal experience: no one forces you. but you have to pay the same. result people avoid inviting you cz they feel bad