Happy new year all! I’m going to be giving up alcohol for new year – any other non-drinkers here? Most of my friends are hard drinking expats so would be interested in any advice on broadening my network to sober expat folk! I’m early 40’s, work in banking, young family.
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We are the same age group and I don’t really drink. Maybe once a year for New Years, that’s about it. The only con to this is that sometimes you pay the same price as alcoholic drinkers when you split the bill or at all you can drink places like karaoke, etc.
Hey, happy new year! I am 3 months sober and looking to keep it going. Japan is a difficult place to stop drinking but it can be done. Mindfulness meditation has helped me control any urges. Highly recommended.
I only drank twice last year and both times no more than 5 drinks. There is a variety of great non-alcoholic beverages out there these days (as in non-alcoholic beers etc., not softdrinks) in case you feel the urge.
For social gatherings, the beginning is usually hard but after a while people will stop bothering you.
I recommend trying to identify your triggers (e.g. stress at work, social gatherings, routine) and then find ways to either avoid, reduce, replace the “reward” with a non-alcoholic option.
I essentially gave up alcohol during covid crisis and never went back. It’s great for your health.
Zero alcohol beverages are helpful. I find strong zero provides the most help.
Happy New Year! I am around 50 and am going to attempt a dry January. I’ve been drinking daily pretty much since my first mgmt job.
There are a lot of people that give it up. I have 2 friends who’ve been sober for years. Also…if you talk to younger people a fair number of them actually don’t drink.
Gave up alcohol in August 2017, never looked back. I have zero desire to ever return to drinking, and only very rarely miss the taste of a good tequila.
Best health decision I’ve made next to getting more regular exercise, and feel I’m much more mentally resilient as a result, as well as the fittest I’ve been since my late teens.
I struggled a bit with peer pressure at work events, but realised it was just people projecting whatever they were feeling when I said no to a drink. After a few months it became a non issue.
As for alcoholic friends, tell them to piss off if they keep pushing you. One of my friend groups are massive drinkers, and some of them endlessly pushed me to drink. After a year or two they finally gave up though some will still comment.
Happy new year! I’m a bit younger than you, but I’m very proud of you for making such a resolution. Stick with it, man! It’ll be worth it!!
How’s your Japanese? Decent or better, no need to limit yourself to expats, find a 断酒会 in your area.
Congratulations and Happy New Year! My wife and I are both non-drinkers. I used to socially drink but haven’t drank in a few years, she never has. I gotta say that life is a lot better never drinking. I always feel good and I’m not wasting money that could be going towards my child. Neither of my parents ever drank but my Japanese wife was turned off of alcohol as a child from seeing her parents (mostly father) drink at parties and her father would also stay out with associates and come home late and smell if alcohol in the morning, lacking energy to do anything for most of the following day. That, to me, is extremely embarrassing.
I’ve been a heavy drinker for most of my life and now I am almost completely sober, except for special occasions.
My journey wasn’t a conscious one- I didn’t stop for any particular reason, I just had a few days sober here and there, and realized it was better for me to not be tired and on the verge of throwing up if I wanted to do better at work/hanging out with people.
My advice: find things that you enjoy more than drinking. For me, I love riding motorcycles- I would drink as soon as I finished work, which was stopping me from riding. Now, I go for a ride around Tokyo bay instead of downing that first can or highball, which is a lot more rewarding.
It also means I could wake up ready to go in the morning, riding all day- no need to worry about putting myself back together, or be limited in skill or tired. This is also great for my relationship- I’m not waiting for the chance to sit down and have a drink.
Another big improvement was gym- gains improved and sessions leave me refreshed and energized instead of wiped out.
With the amount of money you save, you also have the opportunity to invest more into hobbies, travel and experiences- a night of drinking at the izakaya is more than enough for a trip to somewhere cool.
In terms of practically easing the habit (all anecdotal): I’ve heard that sparkling water is quite popular, as it gives a lot of the refreshment of beer without the alcohol content.
I also began using CBD more, which has been known to reduce alcohol cravings. That could be an alternative?
You’d be surprised at the number of Japanese people who have reduced/quit alcohol in recent years. After the nomikai culture was reduced due to Covid, a lot of young people have avoided drinking culture- going for experiences (such as camping or driving) instead. This is reflected in tax revenue drop from alcohol sales.
Full disclosure: I mentioned that I’m not completely sober- I drink a day or two a month for special occasions (work/hobby socializing).
I find, personally, that setting a hard limit on myself would only make alcohol something that I want more- instead, I know I can drink if I want to, so I can choose if I do or don’t (which is pretty much always the case, however you do it), so I don’t because I just don’t have a desire to drink.
In relation to a previously mentioned comment: yes, even if you don’t drink, you will need to/should split bills evenly.
A final note: alcohol is fucking terrible for your mental state, because it fucks up your gut biome. When you stop drinking, you’ll start to improve your gut health, and that will lead to more balanced emotional health and thinking. This is a big benefit!
46 years old make. Living in Tokyo. Young family. Never been drinking. Focusing on hobbies and sports instead. Then that becomes the focus of the friend group (with similar interests) rather than drinking.
I go through phases of drinking daily for weeks then stopping for a month or so, I find you need something to keep you busy. Some things that got me off it
>Heavy into the elden rings game (can’t play it drunk)
>Walking every night and listening to audiobook (fantastic, finished like 8 books)
>Working on watching every movie by a director or actor you really like (this is a hard one lmao)
Good luck mate
goodluck!
Don’t drink 👍
Can you shift your friend group? You are the company you keep. Expats are boring compared to meeting new local people anyway.
Beery is quite good – in fact it’s what I normally drink now. Its the only nonalcoholic/low alcohol beer I’ve found that is remotely drinkable.
I rarely if ever drank at home anyway but enjoy a Beery or two in the evenings on occasion. I do love nights out at a good izakaya with good food and beers or other adult beverages. But I have never passed out or thrown up due to drinking too much, I honestly can’t fathom how someone can drink that much – especially the second time on.
Same exact situation here brother. Good luck to us!!!
The gym and martial arts helped me make some good friends. Of course, surfing!
Getting those summer bods ready!
I gave up drinking before I came to Japan, but I very often hung out at bars after quitting. For me, ordering tonic water and lime or lemon removed any outside pressure to drink—I always looked like I had one in my hand—and simply watching others begin to behave badly (or at least as I didn’t want to) squelched most of my urge to drink.
Congratulations. I gave up the sauce last August and take it day by day. I do feel much better, though.
I did Dry January a few years in a row (thus my username). Funnily, not long afterwards I became mostly intolerant to alcohol due to health issues. I can drink Beery ok as long as I’m hydrated. For special occasions I buy Duc de Montagne Non-Alcoholic Sparkling White wine – it actually tastes good!
Been teetotalling most my life only started introducing it during celebratory times to squeeze in one drink for cheers. Good luck!
Oolong tea is always my go to drink when I feel the pressure of drinking with others
Appletiser is good. It’s more expensive than juice but better than alchol: https://item.rakuten.co.jp/nakae/4966355388117/
I gave up alcohol for the first half of last year. Just drank a lot of sparkling water (I have a Soda stream machine). It was very doable. W.r.t. peer pressure, I think many people were understanding and maybe even jealous that I took the step.
Since then I’ve been drinking too much so it’s kinda a プラマイゼロ situation.
I’ve been sober for the past 3-4 years, so my sense of taste may be off, but I enjoy Dry zero the most out of the non-al trifecta (suntory all free, kirin zero ichi). Funnily enough my experience as a non-drinker in Japan has been smoother than in the states. It helps that most izayakas carry a non-alc option.
If you aren’t forced to go to nomikais, you should be fine.
Good luck and if you slip up, don’t be too hard on yourself!
Next year, you will feel much better than you do now. It can be hard to stay on the path, and I am not sure what al-anon groups/friends of bill groups are here in Japan, but you are on the right way to personal gains.
The non alcoholic beverages have helped me lessen my drinking consumption
I didn’t go full sober as that’s also too much for me, but now drink only 1-2x a month, and also in moderate quantities
Do you like the taste of cocktails and want to quit? Bitters is the way to go. ONE dash of Angostura on soda or tonic water goes a LONG way in terms of taste. Some bitters would take two or three drops (more of Angostura is just that strong) but your drink made from a 330ml can of tonic and just enough bitters for flavor has maybe… 0.03% ABV. Even less, if you count the ice. Plus points for garnish for more smell.
This guy searching for non drinkers and here I am in Sapporo and cant find a fucker thatll drink.