Drinking is Important

Yesterday I attended a farewell party for a graduating PhD student in our group. Now that my Japanese is getting a little bit better, it struck me that for 4 hours, the topic discussed at the table was entirely about other people. Some of the talk was normal scientist stuff: famous groups, famous scientists, and their crazy tendencies. But a lot of it was about group members at the table, and group members away from the table.

Everyone was up front and direct about people they didn't like, and things they did that were annoying. Lots of ridicule and judgmental opinions were aired.  ... This is in stark contrast to day-to-day manners, where everyone but the guy at the top is expected to suffer.

It seems no coincidence that the choice words started flowing after their throats got lubed up by a couple a beers and steady glasses of wine. And in Japan, work parties, where everyone goes together to some bar and gets snookered, is part of the job. Girlfriends/wives do NOT go. It's a work meeting. With drunk guys.

Now I understand why. People must be saving up for these things. I'm sure some people plan in advance what they want to let out. Sure there may be drinks, but not everyone in Japan lacks alcohol dehydrogenase--some guys can drink. The alcohol is just an excuse--for some reason, this is one social setting where it's OK to be completely frank.

It's also interesting that despite the high consumption of alcohol, drunkards in Japan don't fight. I theorize that either A) they drink with people at work, and the group mentality makes a fight WAY too awkward or B) they don't often get personally offended to the point of loosing their temper. ..and I'm trying to compare apples to apples: Tokyoites to Manhattaners. Maybe a person who has less concept of being unique and different has less impetus to get offended. Hmmm...