Everyone Went Drinking. I Went to Ichiran Ramen. | Japanese Salaryman Vlog

Once everyone went drinking tonight. I went to Ichiran Ramen alone. In Japan, we call the after-work drinking party a nomikai. My boss asked if I was coming. I said I had plans. I didn't. By now they're two hours in. Someone is pouring beer for someone else. Someone is laughing at a joke they've already heard three times. I know exactly how that room looks. I went to Ichiran instead. Here's the thing about nomikai in Japan. Nobody makes you go.It's not in your contract. Your boss won't write you up for missing one. But everybody goes. And if you don't, there's no punishment. That's the part I find hard to explain. Nobody is angry. You get the same greeting the next morning. It's just that a decision was made while you weren't in the room, and you hear about it later, and nobody thought to tell you because you weren't there. That's not a rule. It's just what happens. So tonight I sat in a wooden booth by myself and ordered one bowl of tonkotsu. The bamboo screen came down, and nobody poured anything for me. It was quiet. I liked it. Do you have after-work drinks where you work? Can you say no to them where you work — and if you do, does anything change the next day? I'd really like to know. ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー 🍜 About This Channel I'm Gen — a 37-year-old salaryman in Japan. Every month, I set a strict food budget of ¥30,000. Every weekend, I spend some of it at Ichiran. That's the deal I made with myself. If you want to see if I make it to Ichiran this week — subscribe. 📍 Nagoya, Japan 💬 Comments in any language welcome ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー #IchiranSalaryman #JapaneseSalaryman #IchiranRamen #SalarymanVlog #JapanVlog