Today was as close to a riot as I’ve ever seen a Japanese party get. It actually made we wish I’d drunk more.

First, although it was a farewell party, it was at a casual izakaya, rather than a more formal version of an izakaya which are typically dark and moody and expensive. This izakaya, though, was an unofficial hangout for the foreign staff. It was brightly lit, busy and had cheap beer: 190 yen (US $1.57) for a mug rather than the usual 500 yen (US $4.12) for the same size.

The reaction from the Japanese staff as they arrived was to look around and go “Here? Really?”

Second, we were actually in two rooms that formed an L. At least part of us would be at the little kids’ table.

Third, I couldn’t drink much because tomorrow I’m head judge at the high school speech contest and I have to 1) stay awake and 2) be coherent for at least one minute.

Fourth, there was no set menu. Usually Japanese parties are seven course affairs with various forms of salad and meat and things that are unrecognizable but usually pretty tasty. The courses arrive in waves and you find yourself (if you actually have an appetite) hoping the next dish arrives quickly. I usually grab a couple cheeseburgers at McDonald’s before I go to a Japanese party just to tide me over until enough food arrives to tide me over.

This time, though, everyone started ordering from the menu which led to the first problem that began to turn the group against itself: the izakaya was unusually slow. Some of us had been there before when it was busy but they were always diligent about getting food out. However, this time, when food finally arrived it was only half of what had been ordered.

The effect of this was that food would arrive on one half of the table and the people on that half would refuse to share with the other half who watched with longing and resentment. We also started ordering table by table rather than for the group. People didn’t get up and move to other tables to talk to the five people who were leaving. The kids table actually ended up being the youngest teachers and they had a noisy good time, although I kept pointing at them and saying “I told you kids to keep it down” and “You don’t want me to come in there.” (The latter was technically true.)

I was fascinated by it all because I’ve never been at a formal Japanese party that actually felt like a party. I only had two beers though, which meant I didn’t party much.