TOKYO - Drinking parties remain a lively part of social life in Kansai even as younger generations increasingly turn away from alcohol and izakaya bankruptcies rise at a record pace, with customers describing the gatherings less as occasions to drink heavily and more as opportunities to maintain friendships, meet new people and build connections across generations.
Visits to izakaya in Osaka found groups ranging from longtime friends and former colleagues to families, dance club members and people meeting one another for the first time.
One older group said they meet about once a year after having previously worked together in Osaka, while another customer said he enjoys drinking parties because of the lively atmosphere and the conversations that emerge in a crowded bar.
Younger customers also described drinking as a way of communicating more openly. One person in his early 20s said he planned to go drinking with his father, explaining that alcohol provided an opportunity to discuss subjects they would normally find difficult to raise.
Other groups said drinking parties had become especially valuable after marriage and raising children reduced opportunities to meet friends or make new acquaintances. Some said conversations became deeper once people relaxed over drinks.
A gathering of 12 women who shared an interest in dance described their drinking party as a chance to talk outside lessons. Their workplaces and ages differed widely, but dancing had brought them together.
"We've all worked hard together, so it feels different from just going out for a normal drink," one participant said. "Our workplaces are different and our ages are all over the place. We don't really know much about each other's daily lives, so being able to talk at times like this is really valuable."
Daytime drinking has also become increasingly visible. At a cluster of 17 restaurants in an underground dining area in Osaka, customers were found moving between establishments from lunchtime.
One woman said she had gone running after finishing a night shift before stopping for a draft beer, joking that the exercise made the drink taste better.
Another group of three mothers said they could now enjoy daytime drinking after spending around a decade focused on pregnancy, childbirth and raising children. They had known one another since high school and described the gathering as a long-awaited opportunity to relax together.
Alcohol itself is becoming less central to such gatherings. Roughly one in three people now live without drinking alcohol, according to figures cited in the report, while Suntory research showed that Japan's nonalcoholic beverage market has expanded about sevenfold over 16 years and reached a record size last year.
The traditional expectation that everyone should begin a gathering with beer is also fading, with customers increasingly choosing alcoholic or nonalcoholic drinks according to their own preferences.
Changing attitudes toward workplace relationships are reshaping company drinking parties as well.
A group of salaried workers in their 40s and 50s said senior employees have become more cautious about inviting younger colleagues because even asking someone to drink can potentially be interpreted as harassment.
One man said he had stopped inviting colleagues directly and instead waited to be asked, sometimes deliberately signaling that he was preparing to leave work in the hope that someone else would suggest going out.
Another group consisting of two employees in their 30s and a colleague in his second year at the company had arranged their gathering only that afternoon.
One senior employee acknowledged concerns about harassment but said he appreciated that younger colleagues were willing to join. The junior employee said he did not feel excessive pressure because his seniors did not create an atmosphere in which he constantly had to defer to them.
Traditional customs have also largely disappeared. Older workers recalled carrying bottles of beer and glasses around the room to pour drinks for colleagues, or making a point of individually toasting senior staff. Younger employees said they had mainly seen such behavior in television dramas and rarely experienced it themselves.
Despite changing habits, izakaya operators face increasingly difficult business conditions, with bankruptcies rising at a record pace.
Restaurants are responding by creating attractions that go beyond simply serving food and alcohol. One establishment uses a live kitchen visible from outside, where bonito is dramatically seared over flames. Staff said the flames attract attention from passersby, while the aroma also draws customers inside.
Another Osaka bar has built a community around running and craft beer.
The shop organizes a group whose members gather for a relaxed run of about 5 kilometers through Osaka before returning for drinks. The owner, Matsuo, operates a specialty establishment offering around five types of craft beer at any given time.
Participants range from their 20s to their 60s. Some regularly exercise, while others say the group is virtually the only time they run.
The club has grown to around 200 members.
Matsuo said the idea emerged during the coronavirus pandemic, when both restaurants and customers had little to do. Conversations among customers revealed that several enjoyed running, leading to the suggestion that they exercise together before having drinks.
Matsuo operates four izakaya and bars in Osaka. Shortly after opening his third establishment, pandemic restrictions forced him to suspend business.
He said the period was difficult and that operating conditions remain challenging, but customers who supported the business during the pandemic helped create a community that has continued long afterward.
"I never thought this would keep going, or that the circle would become this large," Matsuo said.
Participants complete the roughly one-hour run before returning for the drink they have been anticipating. Some join only for the beer, while others run but do not drink alcohol.
The group says both are welcome.
Members described the club as creating friendships among people who would otherwise be unlikely to meet, including people of different ages and occupations. Former participants who have moved away sometimes return when visiting Osaka.
Some members said the relationships now feel closer to family than those of an ordinary drinking group.
"Normally you have drinking parties with people from work, but meeting people of generations you would never otherwise encounter is something special," one participant said.
The changing drinking culture suggests that for many people in Kansai, the attraction of a drinking party increasingly lies not in alcohol itself but in the relationships and communities that form around it.
Source: KTV NEWS
