A heavy drinker is someone who can hold their liquor well.
Generally speaking, the following types of people are considered heavy drinkers.
- They can consume a significant amount of alcohol at once.
- They prefer high-proof spirits such as distilled alcohol.
- They can drink large amounts of alcohol without feeling the effects the next day.
While it is difficult to define exactly what constitutes a “significant amount,” if someone can finish a bottle of wine (750ml) in one sitting, drink half a bottle of sake (900ml), or down two 500ml cans of chuhai, they can undoubtedly be called a heavy drinker. Beer has a lower alcohol content, so drinking one large bottle (633ml) would not qualify as heavy drinking.
The strength of one’s tolerance for alcohol is determined by the amount of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes in the body, which is innate and cannot be changed. Heavy drinkers are said to be more common in the Tohoku region, Hokkaido, Kochi Prefecture, and southern Kyushu in Japan.
In Japanese, they are called “Shu-go”.
In Japan, there is a ranking system for heavy drinkers, with “Uwabami” being the weakest, followed by “Zaru,” and then ‘Waku’ (or “Frame”), which is the strongest.
“Uwabami” refers to a snake, and the term comes from the way a snake swallows its prey whole, drinking heavily like a snake.
“Zaru” refers to the idea of “having no bottom,” like water flowing through a sieve.
“Waku” means “having no place to get stuck,” referring to someone so strong that they appear sober no matter how much they drink.
However, even the strongest drinkers should avoid consuming the quantities mentioned above, as it is clearly excessive. Many heavy drinkers have damaged their health by drinking heavily every day. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of excessive drinking.
