[MMM]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

This has been pretty much the norm in every college town I`ve been to. At least along the main streets where the bars are. I`ve seen it in quite a few places. You could probably go through life without ever encountering it if you don`t go out bar hopping.

I guess I haven't been to that many college towns, but, again, I don't think college towns represent the majority of drinking culture in America. I have been out drinking all over America, from L.A. to D.C. and never seen it. I am not saying it doesn't happen, but I have never seen it.

Originally Posted by Nyororin

I`ll agree that you don`t see as many people sleeping out in public - but I still would say that on an average day you will spot a lot more people under the influence of something... And those who are under the influence of alcohol tend to be a LOT more drunk than the average in Japan.

If the question is drug use, for sure, America has more drug users in the US. If people are under the influence of anything in Japan, 99.9% of the time it is alcohol, and nothing more. That being said, I live in one of the most marijuana friendly states in America, and it is only a few times a year I think to myself "That guy is high."

Under the influence of something...sure, America wins. Publicly intoxicated...it's Japan. I don't even have to think about it for more than a second or two. 95% of the time I have spent in Japan has been in Kansai, so maybe I have a skewed view, though I have been out from Sapporo to Tokyo to Nagoya to Fukuoka, and public intoxication appears to be a national pastime.

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Yeah, but these are special events and chances are the person being egged on is someone who regularly drinks a lot. I took classes at two different universities in the US, and two in Japan. In the US, every weekend, sports event, day after tests, house to yourself, etc - there would be some kind of drinking event. This spilled over into high school, and there were plenty of high school parties of the same vein. There was plenty of chugging, and most of it was centered on getting someone who didn`t want to drink much as drunk as possible.

I've seen it on both sides of the Pacific, Nyororin, so I can't say it doesn't happen more one place or the other. American colleges have more of a "living alone" or "group living" (i.e. Greek system) culture, so it is easy to see how extreme drinking happens among college aged kids, but at the same time I see extreme drinking from men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s much more in Japan than in the US. American men simply don't drink socially as much as men in Japan do. I had friends in Japan I could only see Sunday or after 11:00 PM because they were out drinking with their coworkers literally six nights a week. That would be grounds for divorce in the US, but in Japan it is an accepted part of the business culture. I understand that it is changing, but even at its most extreme, America never saw it like this.

Originally Posted by Nyororin

In Japan, there would be a get together of that sort at an izakaya once every month or two at most. It was more like once every semester (after exams) or if there was a special event like someone moving away.

I think you are comparing college students to college students...and in that respect you probably have a good point.

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Casual drinking (ie. a few drinks at a friend`s house or after work) is more common in Japan, but binge drinking seems to be more common in the US.
It seems to me that people drink less frequently in general in the US, but when they DO there is more of a tendency to overdo it. (in the younger set at least - I don`t know about the drinking culture in 35~40+ in the US....)

See, I see it as the opposite. Going to someone's house to have drinks or dinner seems like more of a rarity to me in Japan compared to the US. In the US it seems like you go to someone's house for dinner and bring a bottle of wine you split. In Japan sake is poured until someone falls asleep and the wife has to pull them out by the ear.

Originally Posted by Nyororin

It`s a bit unfair to say that it would get a group kicked out in the US as I don`t think I`ve ever seen a real izakaya-like establishment in the US.

Right, they don't exist. But beer pounding, "iki iki" is not allowed in the licensed establishments I have been to. Bartenders have to pace their patrons. That kind of "iki iki" culture is mostly reserved for college parties. However I have seen grown adults with children "iki iki" in Japan (and in public), where I don't see that in the US among grown adults.

Originally Posted by Nyororin

It`s either a restaurant with a bar service to the side, or a bar with a bit of food served. Neither of which would fill the role of an izakaya.

That's partially my point. Izakaya culture doesn't exist in America.

Originally Posted by Nyororin

I don`t really think it is fair that Japan so often gets the reputation of being a country of drunks, with people passing out left and right. It is this reputation that seems to get linked to the US college town drinking culture - and they are completely different. The OP is going to be attending university in Japan. My guess is that US college town drinking is going to be a bit more familiar than some other examples that might work.

I didn't say Japan was a country of drunks or that people are passing out right and left. I am just saying public intoxication is more socially acceptable in Japan, so I think it is hard to say America is more intoxicated than Japan is.

But to your last point, I don't know. Not all US colleges are in "college towns". Each college and neighborhood it sits in has its own culture. Some strive to be "party schools" and others are proud to not be like that.