Drunk Driving in Japan: Alcohol Levels and Penalties

At the end of last year, Dan told us about Kenmon, or checkpoints set up on major thoroughfares in Japan to help catch drunk drivers. He mentioned that drunk driving is a serious offence in Japan, and it is. Here's how serious:

Legally there are two classifications for driving under the influence of alcohol in Japan: 酒気帯び運転 (shuki obi unten) and the more serious 酒酔い運転 (sake yoi unten).

Kenmon: Drunk Driving Checkpoints in Japan

I am sure that you don't need a blog post to tell you that drinking and driving is an all around terrible idea no matter what country you live in. However, during these festival holiday times, many people may be tempted to try and test their luck after having a nip or two at the office holiday party.

However, before you decide to tempt fate keep in mind that the Japanese police are on their game when it comes to looking for drunk drivers on the road.

List of International Supermarkets in Japan

Sweet and simple: A list of supermarkets in Japan that specialize in or carry a decent selection of imported goods. We'd like to lengthen this post as we become aware of new chains, so if you have a favorite shop you'd like to share, please let us know in the comments section.

Hokkaido
Jupiter Coffee (Sapporo)
Costco (Sapporo)
Don Quijote

Tohoku
Jupiter Coffee (Aomori, Morioka, Akita, Sendai, Fukushima, Koriyama)
Don Quijote

Kanto
Jupiter Coffee (Tokyo, Yokohama, Fujisawa, Kumagaya, Kashiwa, Ichihara, Mito)
National Azabu (Tokyo)
Nissin (Tokyo)
Costco (Tokyo, Yokohama, Maebashi)
Don Quijote

Please also take a look at this wonderful list of Tokyo shops by bento.com

Chubu/Koushinetsu
Costco (Nagoya)
Jupiter Coffee (Nagoya, Shizuoka, Numazu, Niigata, Fujiyoshida, Nagaoka)
Don Quijote

Kansai
Costco (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe)
Jupiter Coffee (Kusatsu, Otsu, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara)
Don Quijote

Chugoku/Shikoku
Costco (Hiroshima)
Jupiter Coffee (Okayama, Hiroshima, Sanyo-onoda, Tokushima, Takamatsu)
Don Quijote

Kyushu
Costco (Fukuoka, Kitakyushu)
Jupiter Coffee (Fukuoka, Saga)
Don Quijote


Others...

If you don't have a Costco local to you, you can get Yoyo Market to buy from Costco and ship to you
Yamaya markets, other liquor import stores

Here is a list of Yamaya shops, too:
https://www.yamaya.jp/pages/images/2011nenmatu.pdf?category_id=83

They are quite prominent nationwide, with a great selection of imported goods. (Not just liquor!)

Local Brews: Shochu

Spend enough time in Japan and you will likely develop a healthy love-hate relation with shochu (焼酎). As any seasoned ex-pat knows, when the sochu bottle comes out, you are almost certainly on a one way trip to Hangoverville, population: you and the toilet.

But if you are one of those people who actually likes to savor their sochu as opposed to using it as a cheap binge drinking accessory, then you are in luck as there are tons of local varieties avaliable to please your pallet.

Local Brews: Sake

Now that we have covered finding local beer in Japan, it is only appropriate that we pay some attention to Japan's iconic alcohol, sake (酒).

Local Brews: Beer

Japan is not what most experts would call a beer lover's paradise. If you are the type who frequents after-hours work parties or simply spends enough time at the local watering hole, you will learn to loathe Asahi Super Dry or one of its few equally bland counterparts.

While local beer is not easy to come by (or cheap, for that mater), it does in fact exist for those with a sharp eye and discerning pallet.