Japanese people love to bond after work through nomikai (drinking parties), but like everything else, nomikai have many unspoken rules that one should take note of if he doesn’t want to offend anyone. Here’s a list I compiled from my experience working in Japan:
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Do arrive punctually. Nomikai start promptly, so it will be embarrassing if you show up late and barge hurriedly into the room in the middle of your boss’s speech. In fact, the norm is to show up ten minutes before the designated meeting time.
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Don’t drink before everyone else. It is seen as rude. So, wait for the organiser to shout out “Kanpai” before you toast everyone and start drinking.
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Do “Kanpai!” right. When you toast “kanpai” to your colleagues, especially those who are more superior than you, make sure that your beer glass is clanked at a lower position than theirs as a mark of respect.
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Don’t pour drinks for yourself. The purpose of nomikai is to build rapport with your co-workers, so pour a drink for them instead. Trust me, they will do the same for you.
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Do work the room with a beer bottle, refill your co-workers glasses and get to know them better. It’s a fun way to understand deeper at a more personal level.
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Don’t talk about nomikai the next day at work. Nomikai are a time for people to let loose, so they may speak frankly about their views on the company’s progress or even do crazy things like impersonating celebrities of the opposite gender. However, whatever happens during a nomikai stays at a nomikai, so don’t make your colleagues squirm in discomfort by retelling nomikai anecdotes the next day at work!
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Don’t drink and drive aka the most important rule. Japan has a zero-percent tolerance law toward drunk driving, so either ask someone who doesn’t drink to drive everyone home or call for a cab. Many civil servants have been fired because they were caught driving after a nomikai, so don’t push it!