I would say it increased for me, but only because I was 17 when I first came over here, and wasn`t into the underage drinking thing...
So I literally
never drank before I came to Japan.
Now I only have a drink maybe once every 2 or 3 months. I seem to be abnormally strong, so unless I literally drink liters upon liters - nothing happens. And to be quite honest, I can`t say I like the flavor of alcohol enough to spend extra money on it just for that.
I have seen a lot more irresponsible drinkers and life ruining drunks in the US than in Japan. The image of a "bar" isn`t quite the same, and the attitudes toward alcohol truly do seem to be more healthy. Even back when I was in high school, before coming to Japan, the attitude was of "all or nothing" - 16 year olds binge drinking until the passed out.
I don`t see that in Japan.