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Orion Breweries, Ltd. Company Information

Drinking in Okinawa and the Current Issues

Orion Group's proposal for how to consume alcoholic beverages

Alcohol is often helpful in facilitating communication with others, allowing people to talk honestly and close the gap between them. However, it is also true that some people suffer from illnesses such as alcoholism and liver disease due to excessive drinking. How should we deal with alcohol to be emotionally fulfilled, physically healthy, and live a fun life?
Orion Beer believes people should enjoy alcohol for a long time. Therefore, we would encourage moderate drinking. The Healthy Okinawa 21 website, managed by Okinawa Prefecture, provides specific figures on the appropriate amount of alcohol to drink. These figures are a guide, but since the alcohol decomposition rate varies significantly from person to person, each individual must be conscious of their amount of pure alcohol intake daily.
In addition, when drinking alcohol, we hope you will be conscious of enjoying delicious alcohol for a long time in a healthy way, such as by eating your meal slowly, having a chaser such as water or tea, and having at least two alcohol-free days a week.
At Orion Beer, we hope that many customers will enjoy our products. However, at the same time, we feel a strong sense of responsibility as an alcohol manufacturer to focus on reducing alcohol-related illnesses and eradicating drunk driving, which is a big issue in Okinawa Prefecture. We would contribute to the revival of Okinawa as a prefecture of healthy longevity. In addition, we will strive to provide a "place" where people who do not like alcohol or who are refraining from drinking can enjoy themselves with a smile through the development of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic products and the dissemination of drinking suggestions.

■ Okinawa Prefecture-wide efforts to promote responsible drinking

Sources and references:
Okinawa Prefecture "Healthy Okinawa 21"
Okinawa Prefecture "Current situation and issues regarding alcohol in Okinawa Prefecture"
Okinawa Prefectural Police "Three rules for responsible drinking for adults and preventing underage drinking"

Okinawa Prefecture Drinking and Current Issues
Do you know the appropriate amount of alcohol?
To enjoy drinking, you must have the correct knowledge and be aware of your drinking habits.

From the Health and Longevity Division, Health and Medical Department, Okinawa Prefecture

Okinawa Prefecture has the highest liver disease death rate in Japan for both men and women. The death rate from alcoholic liver disease, in particular, is about twice the national average. A survey of drinking habits shows that people in Okinawa drink less frequently (four or more times a week) than the rest of the country but consume more at once. In addition, the percentage of people who know the appropriate amount of alcohol is low, at around 20-30%, in Okinawa, compared to 50% nationwide. The reality is that most people do not know the appropriate amount of alcohol and drink large amounts at one time, increasing the risk of lifestyle-related diseases.
It is crucial to know the appropriate amount of alcohol and to understand the amount of alcohol you are consuming to avoid drinking too much. Alcohol consumption is measured not by the amount consumed but by the amount of pure alcohol consumed. The appropriate amount of alcohol consumed is an average of 20g of pure alcohol per day for men and 10g of pure alcohol per day for women. The unit of alcohol consumption is "drinks," with 10g of pure alcohol being one drink. Therefore, men should aim to drink an average of two drinks per day, and women should aim to drink no more than one. You can easily calculate the amount of pure alcohol (number of drinks) on The Healthy Okinawa 21 website.
There is also a convenient app called "Okinawa - Responsible Drinking Promotion Calendar (abbreviated as "Drinking Moderation Calendar")."
We suggest you start utilizing these and getting into the habit of keeping track of your drinking volume.

Okinawa Prefecture Initiatives

  1. We aim to spread knowledge about the amount of alcohol that increases the risk of lifestyle-related diseases.
  2. We are raising awareness and providing information on the effects of drinking alcohol to people under the age of 20 and pregnant women.

Voices of experts

[Photo] Dr. Yukio Tezuka, Psychiatrist at Ryukyu Hospital

Let's smartly enjoy alcohol to continue enjoying delicious alcohol for a long time.

Dr. Yukio Tezuka, Psychiatrist at Ryukyu Hospital

If you exceed your drinking limit, you run the risk of becoming addicted to alcohol or developing liver disease, making it impossible for you to drink alcohol again. However, drinking is delicious and fun, so you may want to keep drinking no matter how old you are without damaging your body. To do this, you need to understand where your drinking habits stand correctly.
First, check your current condition with the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). Ideally, you should score seven or less.
You should be conscious of the amount of alcohol you consume when you drink. Count the amount of alcohol, not the amount of alcohol you are drinking. Not how many glasses of alcohol, but how many "drinks." The number of glasses of alcohol is very vague, and it is difficult to know the amount of alcohol you have consumed, so it is crucial to check the number of drinks. You should count the number of drinks as you count calories from food.
At drinking parties, it's important not to get carried away by the atmosphere. Put your glass down after each sip, eat and talk, and try to enjoy communication rather than getting drunk.
Orion Beer's decision to stop producing chuhai, a strong drink with an alcohol content of 9%, was wise. I believe they are considering the health of Okinawans and valuing the essence of the culture of enjoying alcohol. In addition to their current efforts, if they could create a system that allows people to keep track of their alcohol intake (number of drinks), it would contribute even more to improving the health of Okinawans.
As Orion Beer is loved by Okinawans, I hope the group will continue encouraging healthy drinking.

Total Wellness Project Okinawa Nutritionist Kae Izena

Choose foods that help break down alcohol and drink smart and healthy.

Total Wellness Project Okinawa Nutritionist Kae Izena

The basis for healthy drinking is to "eat" while drinking. Be sure to drink with a meal or snack. To avoid putting a strain on your body, I will recommend eating meals that contain good quality oils before drinking, and meals that are mainly protein and vegetables while drinking.
You can get soybean oil from tofu, omega-3 fatty acids from fish, and olive oil from salad dressing. Good fats protect the stomach lining, so eating before drinking will slow down the absorption of alcohol. Solid foods that contain oils, such as nuts and cheese, are also good. They take longer to digest, so they prevent alcohol from being absorbed all at once.
The proteins found in fish, meat, and soybeans help the liver function, and the vitamins found in vegetables and seaweed promote the breakdown of alcohol. It's a good idea to consciously eat these foods to ensure that your liver thoroughly breaks down the alcohol you drink.
Specifically, try cold island tofu, sukugarasu, sashimi, vinegared mozuku seaweed, etc. before drinking. While drinking, we recommend vegetable chanpuru. Okinawan ingredients and cuisine allow you to enjoy alcohol healthily.
Furthermore, starting with drinks with a low alcohol content reduces the burden on your stomach and liver, making you less likely to get a hangover. Alcohol with a low alcohol content and a smooth, crisp taste is perfect for a toast or your first drink.
Finally, don't forget to take two days off from drinking alcohol per week. Even if you don't drink alcohol, you can still enjoy the feeling of drinking non-alcoholic beer. It might be a good idea to make good use of such products.

Dr. Tatsuji Maeshiro, Gastroenterologist, University of the Ryukyus Hospital

I want the younger generation to change so Okinawans will not get overwhelmed by alcohol and can control it.

Dr. Tatsuji Maeshiro, Gastroenterologist, University of the Ryukyus Hospital

The University of the Ryukyus Hospital has been designated as a liver disease treatment center hospital. It plays a central role in Okinawa Prefecture's liver disease treatment network. The most common cause of liver disease nationwide is hepatitis virus infection. However, Okinawa Prefecture has a high proportion of alcohol-related cases and features a high proportion of young patients in their 20s to 40s and female patients. Therefore, raising awareness of responsible drinking is one of our most important tasks. Our greatest wish is to teach the younger generation how to drink a reasonable amount so they can drink in a way that will prevent them from suffering from liver disease and addiction in the future.
The national average for people who start drinking alcohol before the age of 20 is around 10%, but in Okinawa Prefecture, the rate is relatively high at around 35%. Some data shows that the younger a person starts drinking alcohol, the more likely they are to continue drinking in a physically and mentally harmful way when they become an adult.
Many patients have the following pattern: start drinking before the age of 20 → continue drinking recklessly → develop liver disease in their 20s to 40s → fall into a situation where there is no turning back! We must avoid this trend by starting change from the younger generation.
However, alcohol-related liver disease is not only the fault of each patient. It is also greatly influenced by the drinking habits and lifestyles of every people in Okinawa. There are still many people who drink too much, even if they have not yet developed any illness. In Okinawa Prefecture, we must recognize this as a society-wide problem and take measures to address it. It is also crucial for individuals, families, friends, and everyone to seriously consider how they drink and manage their drinking habits appropriately and strictly, to a certain extent.
Moderate drinking is never a bad thing. If you drink alcohol appropriately, with the awareness that you are in control of your alcohol intake, it can bring many benefits to your life. First, understand the risks of alcohol, then find out how to drink appropriately and start controlling your alcohol intake.
I want to change the image of Okinawans as "people who drink too much" to "people who smartly enjoy alcohol."