Go Easy on That Drink

Asahi Shimbun Morning Edition – October 10, 1998

One of the quickest ways modern people relieve stress is by having a drink and venting their frustrations. When the stress is something they’re aware of, even just this can bring considerable relief. However, turning drinking into a habit is dangerous. Not only men—these days we even hear the term “kitchen drinker” to describe women who drink while cooking.

Take the example of a certain housewife. Her husband was always working late, so she spent her days alone with her daughter. While preparing dinner, she started to develop a taste for alcohol. At first, just a light buzz made her feel happy. But soon, by around 7 p.m., she would find herself halfway through a bottle. On the rare occasion her husband came home early, he would find her snoring loudly in the living room.

It is said that there are over two million people in Japan suffering from alcoholism, though some suggest the actual number may be closer to one in ten adults. A gamma-GTP level over 100 in a health check is a red flag. Drinking too much can often disrupt sleep, leading to snoring and even episodes of sleep apnea. A film that might make one exclaim, in the style of Nagaharu Yodogawa, “Alcohol is really scary, isn’t it?” is When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), starring Meg Ryan. Her character, the daughter of an alcoholic, finds herself surrounded by a loving husband who is a pilot and two adorable daughters—yet ends up drinking vodka straight from the bottle. Her husband is played by Andy Garcia, of The Godfather Part III fame.

She repeatedly resolves to quit drinking, throwing out entire bottles of vodka into the trash can outside their home—only to pull them out again and drink. Eventually, she becomes unable to handle household chores or childcare, and ends up being hospitalized in a psychiatric facility.

There, she fights withdrawal symptoms and joins a sobriety support group to strengthen her resolve by sharing her drinking history. She is eventually discharged from the hospital. But she still feels frustrated, believing that her husband doesn’t truly understand her. Her husband begins attending a support group for families. At first, he is resistant and even walks out, but eventually he begins to share his own struggles, coming to understand his wife's loneliness. The film is a moving portrayal of a husband who supports his wife with patience and empathy.

Incidentally, Meg Ryan also shows off some stylish straight-from-the-bottle drinking in Flesh and Bone. Perhaps she really does like her drinks in real life.