• macarthur_park@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Alcohol has long been seen as a social lubricant for thousands of years in Japan, where business deals and difficult issues are discussed over bottles of beer and sake.

    It is believed that drinking alcohol creates a more relaxed environment for such discussions.

    This is such an odd bit of “cultural context” to include in the article. Alcohol is a social lubricant in basically every culture that doesn’t outright forbid it.

    • lastweakness@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I think it’s to a whole different degree in Japan though, at least from what I’ve heard. Forced drinking parties at work, for example.

      • SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world
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        13 hours ago

        It’s always funny to watch drunk men in suit trying to stumble to the train station on a Friday night in Japan.

      • fodor@lemmy.zip
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        14 hours ago

        That was largely true. Now much less, but it depends on the industry and company.