JapanNewbie

Beer Dumping Wedding

Posted on 24. Oct, 2006 @ 8:51 am by harvey in Culture Views: 217

At parties in Japan, there is a cultural tradition to pour beer for others.

This cultural habit is not only observable during company drinking parties, match making compa’s, or large wedding parties, but it pretty much happens anywhere there is a bottle of alcohol and more than one person drinking.

There is a saying that if you pour your own beer, you won’t be a success in life (or get a promotion at your company).

Anyway, during wedding parties in Japan, the beer drinking tradition is in full force. As a guest you are expected at some point to pick up a bottle and pour a tall cold one for the parents of the bride and groom, the office manager of the groom who gave a speech at the wedding, and of course, for the bride and groom themselves.

Japanese wedding parties can become fairly large, with guests usually numbering over 50. You can imagine that lot of beer makes its way over to the bride and groom.

[Stating the obvious] Not all Japanese are strong drinkers.

5 beers would make many a Japanese red in the face.
So what do you do with all that beer? Also, your glass needs to be at least partly empty for when the next guest comes by with the bottle, or it would be rude. Where are they going to pour your beer?

So now we come to the poorly shot picture. See that metal can at the grooms feet? This can is provided specifically for the groom to discretely empty his beer glasses into, so he can continue to accept more booze from all the grateful guests.

Pouring beer directly into the trash! Come on!

There was a gag about this beer pouring tradition in action in the Ramenz sushi shop video posted earlier! おっととと。まあまあまあまあ。
- Harvey