For such a buttoned-up country, Japan's drinking tradition is really something to behold. Drinking is something virtually every adult does (when appropriate), but the biggest drinkers by far are the salarymen.

In virtually every company, being invited out with the team or the boss for after-work drinks is an important bonding ritual. Since so much of office life is about being polite and not saying what you really think, getting drunk together is an essential tool for venting frustrations and letting it all hang out, as they say.

Attendance is not literally mandatory, but not joining in can be a surefire way to torpedo your career, because nobody will like you after that. Especially not your boss.

Sound crazy? Find out more about office drinking rituals at Anime News Network below!