The Enkai (Drinking Party)

You will be a star and your fame will proceed you if you are what the Japanese call a hebi dorinka. If' you don't want to drink, there are 3 ways of getting around it that have been tried and tested:

1. You lie and tell people from the very beginning that you are allergic to alcohol and don't drink in the company of those people.

2. If you buy a car, you drive it to every party, so you can’t drink a drop without breaking the law. This one is harder to enforce and you will get many offers to drive you there and back. Since, if people see you drink (especially if you can hold more than the Japanese - which is usually no more than 2 cans, as they don' t have the enzymes for it), it will become the highlight of the party to feed you serious amounts of alcohol and many people will be disappointed if you don’t drink it. This one was my main strategy.

3. The third and probably most interesting strategy (which at the same time will bring you fame) is to be sooo busy making other people drink and down their drinks that you don’t really have that much time to drink yourself. The knack to this is to cunningly look like you are drinking too. This method is very interesting as your colleagues change when they get drunk and they start speaking bizarre English. It's hilarious! However, be careful.  If you make people down drinks (ikki), you run the risk of them making you down your drinks too!

THE CULTURE OF IT

Be warned. If you drink any of what’s in your glass, it will usually be filled up as soon as you put it down. It’s a sure-fire way to get wasted quickly. To avoid this, it’s a good idea to take just a little sip out of politeness to the person who poured it for you.

Besides drinking, you may also be expected to keep everybody else’s glass filled (or at least the people next to you). You don’t have to do this as it’s a very Japanese thing and if the person next to you drinks at a reasonable pace then you get rather busy (Japanese almost always use small drinking glasses that only hold about 6 oz). But at the same time, it’s funny getting the head of the BOE absolutely plastered! When someone pours you a drink, all you have to do is hold up your glass while they pour and then take a little sip.

Japanese parties are unique. They usually start off in a restaurant(ish) place with food and drink. This part usually takes about 2 hours (stage 1). When this is finished, someone will probably suggest a nijikai (stage 2). This involves karaoke, snack and of course – drink. It’s generally the younger partygoers that carry on and it has been known to go on to yojikai (stage 4).

Feel free to leave after any stage.

THE FOLLOWING PARTIES WILL DEFINITELY TAKE PLACE AND YOU SHOULD MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO ATTEND:

The cost of the enkais will vary. Most schools have a teachers’ club for which each teacher pays a monthly fee of about ¥3,000. This will go to pay for the small enkais and perhaps to take the edge off the price of the larger ones.

You probably won’t pay anything for your welcome party, but be prepared to pay about ¥5,000 (about $50!) for the parties not covered by the teachers’ club. The bonenkai will probably run you about ¥15,000 (yes, about $150!).

Many westerners find these prices hard to swallow. I’ve even known a JET who refused to pay that much on principle (needless to say, her relationship with her colleagues suffered). But remember, the enkai is one of the primary social “wheel-greasers” in Japanese society (and everybody else is paying, too). With your JET salary, the cost shouldn’t be a problem.

After all, part of the reason you are here is to experience Japanese culture. Japanese culture is often quite regimented. Enkais are a chance for everyone to let their hair down and enjoy each other’s company. People who never talk to you (because they are too shy to approach you) may try to talk to you at an enkai. There is perhaps no better way of nurturing your work relationships than to relax, go to an enkai and join in the fun!