Comment by AlanSE | Hacker News Reader

Comment by AlanSE | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

The drunk driving argument extends to Japan extremely poorly due to cultural and infrastructure differences.

Public transportation in Japan is great. In urban areas it's also quite easy, accessible, and affordable to rent a capsule hotel "room" or net cafe seat. This is true no matter what your age or credit history, they won't ask for your drivers license, you can pay cash. It's honestly strange that I have to state some of these things, but I live in the U.S., and this country is all kinds of screwed up.

Also, the enforcement and norms for drunk driving (setting aside age entirely) are totally different. From my experience it's not common to have _a_ drink and drive, and the limit is "detectable".

For a driver in the U.S., the legal and cultural expectations are that you assess your own inebriation and decide when it's okay and when you need to get a cab. That standard doesn't really exist in Japan.

While I might not agree, I can understand people's hesitation about putting the U.S. standard on people aged 18 and 19. But Japan's standard? Pure nanny state.

The reason why they don’t ask you is you are (most likely) a westerner. In my experience if you are an underage looking japanese buying alcohol alone, they most likely will ask your age.

And drunk driving in japan? It’s much more common than you would think.

When I was on exchange in Japan my underage friends from joined me multiple times for bars and not a single time was their ID's checked. I've only had my ID checked during some special event like Halloween in very central areas in Tokyo.

In stores they will not even check ID's or ask your age verbally but you just tap a button that says you are old enough to buy alchohol.

That’s why i said if they are alone. No one ever get asked if they are with a western person.

Can't you just buy alcohol from a vending machine?

(Source: Bought a lot of alcohol from vending machines while I was in Japan. Never got asked for ID.)

I only saw a handful of alcohol vending machines when I was in Japan (2018). I heard a rumor they are being phased out.

EDIT: Found a source "In May 1995, to prevent underage drinking, the All Japan Liquor Merchants Association decided to eliminate outdoor alcohol vending machines, so it is now rare to encounter these machines outside." https://www.nippon.com/en/features/h00258/vending-machines-i...

Oh, this was in 2012 so they may have disappeared. Shame. :(

There are still some in the countryside, and small alleyways in the cities. I think there’s only one in my city.

In my experience, the vending machines near and in hotels, etc, did not require any form of ID. However, the random ones I found out on the street required you to have obtained an ID/Authorization card beforehand.

oh sorry, I wasn't clear. I was talking about hotels asking for your ID. It is also true that Japan checks ID for alcohol less often (it would be hard to check more often than the U.S.), but that might just mean they're more comfortable going by looks / gut, and that carrying identification (when walking) doesn't have the same norms or laws either.

In Japan you get fined even for being a passenger in a car where the driver is drunk.

It's mega strict.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com