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The story
Takara Holdings, the parent company of Takara Shuzo, released a survey on the drinking habits of twenty-somethings who drink at least once a week. The most common drinking scenario was “alone at home,” at 77.7%, with over 60% citing “wanting to go at my own pace” as the reason. On 5ch, some pointed to the economic impact, saying things like “they clearly don’t realize they’re killing off izakayas,” while others cited reasons behind the preference for solo drinking, such as “in rural areas it’s a car-dependent society, so drinking at home is the only option” and “people just stopped pressuring others to drink” — opinions were split.
Takara Holdings, which owns Takara Shuzo, released the results of a survey on drinking habits targeting twenty-somethings who drink alcohol at least once a week. Even as young people are said to be drinking less overall, those in their 20s who do have a drinking habit tend to drink frequently, and a preference for drinking “alone” at home has emerged.
As for drinking frequency, 46.5% of respondents said they drink “four or more days a week,” including those who drink “almost every day,” while 27.6% said “two to three days a week.”
For drinking scenarios (multiple answers allowed), “alone at home” was the most common at 77.7%. Among reasons for drinking alone at home (multiple answers allowed), “wanting to spend the time at my own pace” led at 60.9%, followed by “wanting to enjoy time alone” at 46.8%, and “it’s more relaxing alone” at 38.4%.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Really shows why the Japanese economy is shrinking too.
Who needs izakayas anyway.
I don't want to force anyone to come along, and who knows what they'd say behind my back if they did.
These days I don't skimp on money cooking dinner for the family, then treat myself to fancy homemade side dishes as bar snacks while I drink alone.
The twenty-somethings at my company are dying to go out drinking.
I think it's because the higher-ups just foot the bill and don't nag them.
Same age bracket, and I completely agree.
Anyone who keeps repeating that is a lost cause, no question.
"Drink, drink, get drunk, drink and drink, drink until you collapse, drink until you sleep — and then quietly, the man drifts off to sleep." Thought that was song lyrics for a second.
And you're stuck with annoying people tagging along too.
The otoshi (the mandatory little appetizer they charge you for) is even worse.
They slap down a tiny dish of simmered vegetables and charge like 500 yen for it.
Twenty-somethings today have no money — can't get girlfriends, can't eat out, just scraping by.
Yeah, that's probably it.
The result of prioritizing short-term economic gains at young people's expense.
True, you really can't drive somewhere to drink anymore.
Even back when people did, it was normal for the designated driver to say "I'm driving, so just a toast for me."
Meanwhile in America you can go wine-tasting and drink your way through a whole tour.
Seriously, just skip them.
Makes you wonder what all that pressure before was even about.
Forcing alcohol on people counts as harassment to some, and it's literally a crime if you do it to someone who's driving.
With awareness of "aruhara" (alcohol harassment) spreading, things are finally starting to become sane.
That's alcoholism, lol.
Had a boss like that for real, back in the day.
Saw the back of a popular place in broad daylight once — that was rough.
If I drink out, going home is a hassle; if there are people around, dealing with them is a hassle.
So it ends up being solo drinking at home.
Guess drinking itself never becomes a hassle, lol.
but people have caught on that it doesn't actually solve anything and just becomes another source of stress.
Alcohol is a drug, and drinking parties are basically drug parties at this point.
Exactly.
Running or lifting weights relieves stress way better than drinking.
Used to be able to de-stress by drinking, but these days I just don't get that buzz — it's not fun anymore.
Sure, why not?
You drink while browsing social media or gaming.
I bet a lot of people are drinking while posting on 5ch right now too, lol.
Birds of a feather — a lot of people around me drink in crazy amounts too, and even though they keep dying from illness or accidents, they can't quit.
It's a legitimate disease.
Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs out there.
Yet it's sold like it's nothing.
How much does everyone actually drink?
This isn't even news.
It's just convenient stealth marketing from a liquor company.
Not news, not even a real article.
Even thread starters need some media literacy.
It's from the Yomiuri Shimbun, though.
They're drinking way more than our generation did.
Makes sense.
Drinking at home is more habit-forming too.
Then the next day I just sleep as much as I want.
There's no better stress relief than that.
Try it once.
I feel that.
Wish every day were Friday.
Background and Key Points of Debate
Takara Holdings, the major liquor maker behind the survey, has been tracking a broader narrative that young people are drinking less overall — yet the data hints at a split: those twenty-somethings who do have a drinking habit actually drink quite frequently. It’s easy to overlook that the survey covered only “20-somethings who drink at least once a week,” not the full generation. The thread’s disagreement centered on how to interpret the preference for drinking at home. Some pointed to a simple lack of financial means, while others argued it’s really about growing awareness of “aruhara” (alcohol harassment — the pressure to force others to drink), which has made people less inclined to drink out under social pressure. Commenters from rural areas also noted that in car-dependent regions, going out to drink at all is difficult, suggesting several overlapping factors beyond a simple “young people are drinking less” narrative.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “20-Somethings Prefer Solo Drinking at Home — 77.7% Highest Among Those Who Drink at Least Once a Week… Even With Company, They Lean Toward Small Groups.”
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