Is there a drinking age in Japan?

Question

I thinking in the terms of a visiting American tourist.

Answer 1

It's 20.

Answer 2

Like several others have said, the legal age here is 20..but uh.....its sort of like a tongue-in-cheek law.
The real age? Nobody cares.
You can buy beer from a vending machine..even a 2 litre can!
I have never ever seen anybody get asked for ID in a bar/club or liquer store so age can be verified. Particularly if you are a foreigner. They will not bother you because so few Japanese people are able to communicate well in English.

Answer 3

Don't worry about it. You could binge drink beside a vending machine all night if you wanted to. The higher end hotels that possess mini-bars don't even have the alcohol locked up either!

Man, my first time in Tokyo, I stayed in Ginza at the Tobu Hotel. I was 19 and saw the mini bar, hit it, then went out wandering the Ginza and its bright lights. I'll tell you, hell hath no scorn or fury like the bill you get the next day from doing that.

Answer 4

Legally, you need to be 20 years old to be allowed to buy and drink an alcoholic beverage. But unless they ask for an identification from you, there's no way for them to determine your actual age. Much more if you are a foreigner. They seldom ask for proof of age unless you really look like a thirteen year old.

Answer 5

It's 20 but no one cares. They sell beer in vending machines for crying out loud. As long as you're not obviously a child, you'd be sold alcohol even if you were Japanese. As a foreigner, so long as you're at least old enough to shave you're fine.

Answer 6

It's 20 but there is no actual enforcement. A lot of clubs would go broke if it weren't for the high school kids.

Answer 7

Age 20...End of discussion

Answer 8

You must be 20 years of age to purchase alcohol or tobacco.

Answer 9

the legal age to drink is twenty

Answer 10

18 years old