A Japanese Salaryman Finds 10-Yen Beer After an Awkward Work Party

Hi, I’m Kai. I’m a 38-year-old salaryman—an ordinary office worker in Japan. I’ve worked at the same company for 20 years, ever since graduating from high school. I try to live frugally, and one of the small things I look forward to most is enjoying a good meal alone. On this channel, I document the everyday life of an ordinary Japanese salaryman, along with the thoughts I can’t share at work. Tonight, I went to a company drinking party. During the party, I was suddenly asked to perform a comedy bit in front of everyone. I really didn’t want to do it, but I was afraid of ruining the mood, so I couldn’t say no. No one laughed. Still, I was the only one smiling awkwardly, because I didn’t want to make the situation even more uncomfortable. I don’t think anyone meant any harm. They were probably just trying to keep the party lively. Even so, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I had ignored my own feelings and smiled through something I never wanted to do. Everyone else continued to another round of drinking, but I said no. Instead, I decided to have a second round by myself. I headed to Kinshachi Sakaba, an izakaya in Nagoya. Earlier that day, someone had handed me a mysterious flyer advertising beer for only 10 yen a glass. Was it really 10 yen? Was the food unusually expensive? Was there some kind of hidden catch? I entered the restaurant with a few doubts, but the beer was completely normal and full-sized. The food was affordable, arrived quickly, and tasted great. I had three 10-yen beers, curry kushikatsu, miso kushikatsu, miso oden, and a grilled rice ball to finish the night. I also gave myself a small side quest: Enjoy my solo second round for less than 1,500 yen. The final total was 1,392 yen—about US$9.00 or €7.70. At company drinking parties, I pay attention to everyone’s expressions and how much is left in their glasses. But when I’m alone, I can decide how quickly to drink, when to stay silent, and when to leave. Do I really enjoy drinking alone? Or do I simply enjoy not having to fit in? I still don’t know the answer. But thanks to some good food and three 10-yen beers, my steps felt a little lighter when I left the restaurant. Have you ever wanted to say no, but couldn’t? If you feel comfortable, let me know in the comments. If you enjoyed the video, I’d be happy if you liked it and subscribed to the channel. The 10-yen beer was a limited-time promotion available at the time of filming.