Government says 'drive more and drink more'

[stewamax]

Well it might happen - following Japan's exemplary campaign to get their 20-39 year olds to drink more.
Japanese tax revenues have plummeted because inconsiderate youngsters are only drinking in moderation and no longer following the Japanese custom of imitating the behaviour of their bosses and elders.
(Ages ago when I worked here, the sight every evening of groups of paralytically blotto salarymen was commonplace.)

[Dod101]

Well it might happen - following Japan's exemplary campaign to get their 20-39 year olds to drink more.
Japanese tax revenues have plummeted because inconsiderate youngsters are only drinking in moderation and no longer following the Japanese custom of imitating the behaviour of their bosses and elders.
(Ages ago when I worked here, the sight every evening of groups of paralytically blotto salarymen was commonplace.)

I used to go to Japan on business and, before I knew any better, I was taken out one evening by the department boss and some of the above mentioned salarymen. Some toasts and nice food, even if it was a bit uncomfortable sitting cross legged. After the meal was over, the boss wished us goodnight and left. The salarymen took me out and we went off to more than one bar. By about 1 am we were all rather blotto and the two of them announced that they would stay in town overnight. That was the signal for a bottle of some strong liquor to be ordered and many more toasts. When I next visited I learned that my stock had risen considerably but I took great care from then on not to get too caught up in their entertainment.

Still, I guess it must have been good for government revenues.

Given our nanny state re drinking and smoking for that matter, I cannot see our Government actively encouraging more drinking.

Dod

[stewamax]

When I was there, it seemed normal - and perhaps expected - for the boss to get blotto with the troops.
But whereas at work and formal work-sponsored dinners the troops were by Western standards extremely subservient to the boss, in the bar after work they could call him (and it was always a him and not a her) a thick drunken incompetent ar*ehole (or whatever this is in Japanese) and he wouldn't take offence. They seemed to 'compartmentalise' their environments.

[terminal7]

I used to work with a Japanese company during the 70s and 80s with occasional trips to Tokyo and Kamakura. As already mentioned, the drinking was somewhat excessive and the drink of choice was 'Shivas Reagle'. Every bar/club would have the company bottles - with careful line on the labels where half finished bottles were stored away until the next visit. The most memorable visit was to a club in Ginza that offered a series of tableaux of a sexual nature. The most notable being Christ on the cross with a number of naked ladies in attendance. My drunken guests clearly thought this was hilarious.

T7

[Dod101]

I used to work with a Japanese company during the 70s and 80s with occasional trips to Tokyo and Kamakura. As already mentioned, the drinking was somewhat excessive and the drink of choice was 'Shivas Reagle'. Every bar/club would have the company bottles - with careful line on the labels where half finished bottles were stored away until the next visit. The most memorable visit was to a club in Ginza that offered a series of tableaux of a sexual nature. The most notable being Christ on the cross with a number of naked ladies in attendance. My drunken guests clearly thought this was hilarious.

T7

I had forgotten about the marked bottles. That was also common in Hong Kong in semi private dining spots used by the Chinese who had a surprising number of these places for their particular ‘clan’ often made up of people whose families all came from a particular area of China. The average westerner would not know about them but I was brought along to them occasionally. Great food and lots to drink.

Dod

[CliffEdge]

Sound like horrible people.

[Lootman]

I had forgotten about the marked bottles. That was also common in Hong Kong in semi private dining spots used by the Chinese who had a surprising number of these places for their particular ‘clan’ often made up of people whose families all came from a particular area of China. The average westerner would not know about them but I was brought along to them occasionally. Great food and lots to drink.

Yeah, I was taken to one of those when I first arrived there. The bottles were Remy of course, which seemed like it was almost a wine substitute for meals. They enjoyed making me eat unspeakable parts of animals but I got the last laugh when I was the last man standing when the drinking got serious.

Of course, since you are Scottish, no doubt you were consistently able to out-drink them better than I. The locals love to drink but do not handle it too well, as I recall.

[DrFfybes]

Sound like horrible people.

Care to add some context to that enormous generalisation?

[Dod101]

I had forgotten about the marked bottles. That was also common in Hong Kong in semi private dining spots used by the Chinese who had a surprising number of these places for their particular ‘clan’ often made up of people whose families all came from a particular area of China. The average westerner would not know about them but I was brought along to them occasionally. Great food and lots to drink.

Yeah, I was taken to one of those when I first arrived there. The bottles were Remy of course, which seemed like it was almost a wine substitute for meals. They enjoyed making me eat unspeakable parts of animals but I got the last laugh when I was the last man standing when the drinking got serious.

Of course, since you are Scottish, no doubt you were consistently able to out-drink them better than I. The locals love to drink but do not handle it too well, as I recall.

Yes they got rather red faced quite quickly. Brandy was common but so was Mao Tai that fiendish spirit in the white coloured bottle. In fact I was often entertained with a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Nostalgia!

Dod