[goykasi]

That is my experience too. In my neighborhood, by 8pm, the streets are crawling with drunk salarymen (and women) stumbling out of izakayas on their way to a snack and/or karaoke -- 5 days per week. They clearly werent working overtime with how often I see them.

[bouncycastle]

the nomikai is part of the work, where the social status is being reinforced (pouring drinks while deeply bowing to the boss, getting forced to drink, the speeches, the clapping, etc)

[goykasi]

Im not disputing the fact that nomikai exists. Ive been to my share. I was simply agreeing with the OP that it is more likely that most Japanese people arent working insane amounts of overtime and black companies arent in the majority. I provided a personal anecdote to reinforce that.

Most people are more than likely getting off at regular hours and going home or out for dinner and drinks (whether you consider that work or not -- they arent being paid). Otherwise the bars and trains wouldnt be packed full of people at 6pm and happy hour wouldnt exist.

[saagarjha]

So they start work at 12?

[goykasi]

I would guess they start around 8 or 9 in the morning.

[saagarjha]

So they’re working 12 hour days 5 days a week? That sounds like overtime to me.

[goykasi]

Not sure why youre being a contrarian. It seems like you didnt bother to understand my post. But yah, start work at 8-9, knock off at 6 to start drinking heavily at the local izakaya, hammered by 8 or 9 and stumbling towards the snack until last train (or later if the company pays for cabs).

I see the same thing everyday.

[saagarjha]

That’s still 9-10 hours a day. The typical workweek here is 40 hours.

[goykasi]

Well your "here" is clearly not Japan. Your confidence about inexperience is weird though.