@Aoitenshi @Bhavna The majority of Japanese (and other East Asian) men have a genetic condition that delays metabolization of alcohol. The condition is sometimes called the East Asian alcohol flush. I have it, so I have to limit my drinking speed when I do go out to drink. It doesn't really limit the amount of alcohol consumption, just the speed and frequency. I can drink a full 500ml bottle of Chinese baijiu with 55%+ alcohol content in one sitting, but the sitting must be over an hour long. This is why there are still many alcoholics in populations with the EA alcohol flush.
While technically the prevalence is only around 40% in East Asia in general, this is because the more diverse Chinese population, with many people of genetically Turko-Mongol or Tunguskic descent (who don't share the genetic condition), overwhelms the statistics. In Japan the number is more like 70% of males. That's why alcohol tolerance has traditionally been considered a sign of strength and virility in Japan. You can even find this in their heroic literature. Maeda Keiji is especially notable for the amount of literature praising his drinking "skills".