modern_messiah 0 Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Hi all, Myself and 5 mates will be in Hakuba from the 21st of Feb to the 8th of March next year. Three of us are 23, Two of us are 20 and one is 17. As I understand it the drinking age in Japan is 20. What can we do in regards to going out and having fun with a 17 year old in our midst? Seriously at this stage our solution is to hope that he gets knackered from snowboarding, waiting until he passes out in his bed and then ditching the poor guy in the room and running wild (or rather as wild as socially acceptable in Hakuba). We would like to go out for dinner every now and then, and have a few drinks with our meal then maybe cruise around afterwards. We're staying at the Wind Jacket Lodge. I'm not exactly sure where that is located yet. infact I've barely had a chance to research the town at all yet so I have no idea what is there thus far. Might get googling when I get home. Anyway...stories, suggestions or age old advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites
skidaisuki 0 Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Unless your youngest friend looks like he's 12, I don't suppose there'll be a problem in most places. Bear in mind if he got really drunk and ended up in police hands (pretty unlikely, I must say) the consequences would not be good Link to post Share on other sites
modern_messiah 0 Posted December 1, 2008 Author Share Posted December 1, 2008 Yeah - see we are trying to avoid that situation lol... Guess we'll just see what happens Link to post Share on other sites
best skier in hakuba 5 Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 It's in Wadano. How old does he look like? Him conking out and going to bed early might not be what he wants. I don't know how strict the police are about that kind of thing here, but as skidaisuki said it is a good idea to avoid any police stuff!! Can't say I have heard of anyone being asked for ID though ever. Link to post Share on other sites
modern_messiah 0 Posted December 1, 2008 Author Share Posted December 1, 2008 well his older brother is comming with him so I can leave it up to him lol. At the end of the day it does'nt effect me or my brother (who is 20) so party on for us Link to post Share on other sites
nippontiger 8 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Find him a nice young lady on the slopes on the first day - they can go out together (Careful! Age of consent is 20 here too!!), and you guys can go out and drink wonderful sake to your hearts content! Everybody's happy! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 get him pissed...not like any of us didn't drink when we were 17...just make sure he doesn't spew on a radiator in the room like what happened to my 16 yr old cousin in Meribel.....hot spew smell is not nice!!! Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Yuck. Take some literature and read before turning the light off at 10pm. Link to post Share on other sites
j-pan-rat 0 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 there is one bar in wadano The Pub(plus hotels that have private bars) so as long as he doesnt get kicked out of there it should be fine. Link to post Share on other sites
modern_messiah 0 Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 lol....some sound advice it seems. I realsie its not like I wasn't drinking at 17. Its more "not getting in trouble with the law". It's abd enough if you get caught supplying minors with grog here in Oz, I'd hate to do it over seas! We'll play it by ear and see where we can/cannot go with it all. Link to post Share on other sites
me jane 0 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 There doesn't seem to be a minimum age for being in most bars, so if you are really worried you can take him with you and feed him virgin cocktails. Link to post Share on other sites
Rag-Doll 0 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver get him pissed...not like any of us didn't drink when we were 17...just make sure he doesn't spew on a radiator in the room like what happened to my 16 yr old cousin in Meribel.....hot spew smell is not nice!!! Do you think the French view the Scots in the same way that the Japanese view the Aussies? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 haha...maybe Rag-doll......But I think the French are too busy whinging about the English than they are about the Scots. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 you'll find out very soon how Japanese think all foreigners look alike, so your friend will be able to drink/buy alcohol no problem; but as others say keep him outta trouble if he does drink. Link to post Share on other sites
nippontiger 8 Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 Back in England, people always used to think I was younger than I was, but now Im in Japan, everyone guesses older!! Foreigners tend to look older to Japanese (not good for the likes of me!), so he might just get away with it! Link to post Share on other sites
modern_messiah 0 Posted December 3, 2008 Author Share Posted December 3, 2008 All asians look the same...all caucasians look the same. Gotta love it. I find it hilarious! He looks like his brother who is 23. If worse comes to worse they can swap passports for a night lol. Just kidding...or am I? right now im more concerned that after the first few days on the slopes I'll be too dead to walk let alone drink myself into bed. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 actually all whites do look the same. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 Quote: Age of Consent is 20 in Japan... Need I say more!!! OK - Honesty pill time. When in Niseko in April 07 and Jan 08 my two older boys both had at least one 'mens' night out with the adult males at the bar. My boys were 13/14 and 15/16 at the time. They DO look like they are old enough to drink though. Son#2 working on the election recently at 14 and 10 months of age was asked by a 19 yr old co-worker why he did not just bail on his Mum and drive home. (Ummmm coz I am 14). Son#1 had a bus driver almost fall off his seat when he produced his student ID and concession that aged him at 16 and a half years of age. With his gnarly ginger beard the bus driver told him he thought he was about 40!!!! Considering I (his mother) am not yet 40 that is pretty extreme. You shouldn't have any problems as long as you don't let him get pissy and make trouble. Link to post Share on other sites
nippontiger 8 Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 I was teaching once and having a nice chat to one of my students - he asked me how old I was. When I told him, he laughed and said, "I thought you were about 45!". I wasnt impressed. I had to end our nice little chat with a curt "Riiggght....open your book to page 12 please..."! Link to post Share on other sites
gogalago 0 Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 In terms of bars there are likely very few places in Hakuba that will actually "bar" him at the door... but serving alcohol will be a problem. Here proprietors are held far more liable for their customers behavior in general, so issues with underage drinking will be taken quite seriously. For bigger parties though, he may well have a problem gaining entry, and probably rightly so... Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 Originally Posted By: Mamabear Quote: Age of Consent is 20 in Japan... Need I say more!!! OK - Honesty pill time. MB, whoever said that doesnt know what theyre talking about. Its not 20. I believe its actually 13, but prefecture laws vary from 13-18, most being between 16-18 like in the States. Japan just got birth control this decade. Women have been fighting for it for 30-40 years here, men said only whores need the pill. They finally got it when the male octogenarians who are still in the Diet (probably 80% of them too) here wanted Viagra to be legal, the women said if you need that we need the pill. Hence, Japan FINALLY got the pill just several years ago. Link to post Share on other sites
modern_messiah 0 Posted December 4, 2008 Author Share Posted December 4, 2008 Having read through these responses it has occurred to me that we may not have many troubles with getting him into bars legally, we just cant buy him alcohol legally. Is this correct? Because if so I can safely say we have no qualms with dragging him around with us while we're out and about.... Also I read on the Australian Government's Traveler's Guide website that the legal age for consent and drinking in Japan is 20. I'm not really the kinda guy who likes to test our own laws let alone foreign ones as well. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 In the States last summer I was carded everywhere I went, but in the decade Ive been here Ive never seen anybody carded - ever. I always thought Japanese were the Irish (or do the Scotts hold the honor of being the most drunk? )of Asia? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 the scots win hands down. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 I really dun see the prob. I was in pubs in England when I was like 13. Us look the same you see. Link to post Share on other sites
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