Is it Alcohol or the Government That’s at Fault?

Close up Japan |悪いのは酒か、政府か

Is it Alcohol or the Government That’s at Fault?

About 600 years ago, a series of natural disasters, including long rains and cold summers, led to a severe drought. As a result, there was a countrywide famine. In those days, it was believed that if a powerful person or a person of high status did something wrong, the gods and Buddha would get angry and cause a disaster. The shogun, ASHIKAGA Yoshimochi, issued a ban on alcohol. He believed that by not producing alcohol, rice could be saved, mishaps caused by drinking could be reduced, and virtuous government could be conducted. Although prohibition did not end the famine, it can be said that this kind of famine strengthened the “virtuous thoughts” of the Japanese people. On the other hand, in line with the “irony of history,” Yoshikazu, the eldest son of Yoshimochi, who became the next shogun , was a heavy drinker and died suddenly of health problems caused by alcohol. In the U.S., the temperance movement, led by Puritans who advocated asceticism, led to the enactment of Prohibition in 1920. However, Prohibition led to an increase in the number of unlicensed bars, which in turn led to an increase in the number of deaths from alcohol poisoning due to the availability of poorquality moonshine. In addition, the illegal production and smuggling of alcohol by the mafia increased, and public safety deteriorated. Unfortunately, it seems that “prohibition” has not been a success. In modern Japan, the minister in charge of economic revitalization has made a statement calling for financial institutions to put pressure on restaurants to stop serving alcohol during the Covid-19 pandemic. This threatening statement caused anger and distrust among the restaurant industry, liquor dealers and the public, and was later retracted. However, the pros and cons of the government cracking down on the serving of alcohol have been brought into question.

やく
yaku
about
600ろっぴゃくねん
roppaku nenn
six hundred years
まえ
mae,
ago
長雨ながあめ
nagaame,
long rains
冷夏れいか
reika
(and) cold summers
などの
nado no
including
天災てんさい
tennsai ga
natural disasters
つづき、
tsuduki
a series of
大干だいかんばつが
dai’kannbatsu ga
a severe drought
こりました。
okori mashita.
led to
その結果けっか
sono kekka,
as a result
国中くにじゅう
kunijuu de
countrywide
飢饉ききん
kikinn ga
a famine
発生はっせいしました。
hassei shi mashita.
there was
当時とうじは、
touji ha,
in those days
権力者けんりょくしゃ
kennryoku’sha
a powerful person
ya
or
身分みぶんたか
mibunn no takai
of high status
ひと
hito ga
a person
わる
warui
wrong
おこないを
okonai wo
something
する
suru
did
to
if
神仏しんぶつ
shinnbutsu ga
the gods and Buddha
いかり、
ikari,
would get angry
災害さいがい
saigai wo
(and) a disaster
こす
okosu
cause
to
that
かんがえられていました。
kanngae rarete i mashita.
it was believed
将軍しょうぐん
shougunn,
the shogun
足利あしかが義持よしもち
ashikaga yoshimochi ha
Ashikaga Yoshimochi
禁酒令きんしゅれい
kinnshu’rei wo
a ban on alcohol
しました。
dashi mashita.
issued
さけ
sake wo
alcohol
つくらないこと
tsukura nai koto
not producing
de
by
こめ
kome ga
rice
節約せつやくでき、
setsuyaku deki,
could be saved
飲酒いんしゅゆ
innshu
drinking
による
ni yoru
caused by
悪行あくぎょう
akugyou wo
mishaps
らし、
herashi,
could be reduced and
とくのある
toku no aru
virtuous
政治せいじ
seiji wo
government
することができる
suru koto ga dekiru
could be conducted
to
that
かんがえたのです。
kanngaeta no desu.
he believed
この禁酒令きんしゅれいにより
kono kinnshu’rei ni yori
prohibition
飢饉ききん
kikinn wo
the famine
えられた
norikoe rareta
end
わけではありません
wake deha ari masenn
did not
が、
ga,
although
このような
kono you na
this kind of
飢饉ききんが、
kikinn ga,
famine
日本人にほんじん
nihonnjinn
the Japanese people
no
of
有徳うとく思想しそう」を
“utoku’shisou” wo
the virtuous thoughts
強化きょうかした
kyouka shita
strengthened
to
that
えるでしょう。
ieru deshou.
it can be said
一方いっぽうで、
ippou de,
on the other hand
つぎ
tsugi no
next
将軍しょうぐん
shougunn
the shogun
となった
to natta
who became
義持よしもち
yoshimochi
Yoshimochi
no
of
長男ちょうなん
chounann,
the eldest son
義量よしかず
yoshikazu ha
Yoshikazu
大酒飲おおざけの
oozake’nomi
a heavy drinker
で、
de,
was
さけ
sake
and alcohol
de
caused by
健康けんこうがい
kennkou wo gaishi
of health problems
急死きゆうししたという
kyuushi shita to iu
died suddenly
歴史れきし皮肉ひにく
“rekishi no hiniku”
history of the irony
ga
with
つたえられています。
tsutaerarete i masu.
in line
アメリカあめりか
amerika
the U.S.
では、
deha
in
禁欲きんよく主義しゅぎ
kinnyoku’shugi wo
asceticism
かかげる
kakageru
who advocated
清教徒せいきょうと
seikyouto ra
Puritans
中心ちゅうしん
wo chuushinn ni
by
禁酒きんしゅ運動うんどう
kinnshu’unndou ga
the temperance movement
こり、
okori,
led
1920せんきゅうひゃくにじゅう ねん
senn kyuuhyaku nijuu nenn
nineteen twenty [year]
ni
in
禁酒法きんしゅほう
kinnshu’hou ga
(of) Prohibition
制定せいていされました。
seitei sare mashita.
led to the enactment
しかし、
shikashi,
however
禁酒法きんしゅほうによって
kinnshu’hou ni yotte
Prohibition
無許可むきょか
mu’kyoka no
unlicensed
バーばー
ba- ga
(the number of) bars
え、
fue,
led to an increase in
しつわる
shitsu no warui
poor-quality
密造酒みつぞうしゆ
mitsuzou’shu ga
moonshine
出回でまわった
demawatta
the availability of
ことで、
koto de,
due to
アルコールあるこーる中毒ちゅうどく
aruko-ru’chuudoku
alcohol poisoning
による
ni yoru
from
死亡者しぼうしゃ
shibou’sha
(the number of) deaths
mo
in turn
えていきました。
fuete iki mashita.
which led to an increase in
さらに、
sara ni,
in addition
マフィアまふぃあ
mafia
the mafia
による
ni yoru
by
さけ
sake
alcohol
no
of
密造みつぞう
mitsuzou
the illegal production
ya
and
密輸みつゆ
mitsuyu mo
smuggling
え、
fue,
increased and
治安ちあん
chiann mo
public safety
わるくなりました。
waruku nari mashita.
deteriorated
残念ざんねんながら、
zannnenn nagara,
unfortunately
禁酒令きんしゅれい」が
“kinnshu’rei” ga
“prohibition”
成功せいこうした
seikou shita
a success
とは
toha
that
えない
ie nai you desu.
has not been
ようです。
you desu.
it seems
現代げんだい
genndai no
modern
日本にほん
nihonn
Japan
でも、
demo,
in
コロナ禍ころなか
korona’ka
the Covid-19 pandemic
における
ni okeru
during
さけ提供ていきょう停止ていし
sake no teikyou’teishi ni
to stop serving alcohol
飲食店いんしょくてん
innshoku’tenn ga
(on) restaurants
おうじるよう、
oujiru you,
to put
金融きんゆう機関きかん
kinnyuu’kikann
financial institutions
ni
for
はたらきかけを
hataraki kake wo
pressure
もとめる
motomeru
calling
発言はつげんが、
hatsugenn ga,
a statement
経済けいざい再生さいせい担当たんとう大臣だいじんから
keizai’saisei’tanntou’daijinn kara
the Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization
ありました。
ari mashita.
has made
この
kono
this
脅迫きょうはくともれる
kyouhaku to mo toreru
threatening
発言はつげんは、
hatsugenn ha,
statement
飲食業いんしょくぎょう
innshoku’gyou,
the restaurant industry
酒類しゅるい販売店はんばいてん
shurui’hannbai’tenn,
liquor dealers
国民こくみん
kokuminn
(and) the public
no
among
いか
ikari
anger
to
and
不信感ふしんかん
fushinn’kann wo
distrust
まねき、
maneki,
caused and
その
sono go,
later
撤回てっかいされました。
tekkai sare mashita.
was retracted
しかし、
shikashi,
however
くに
kuni ga
the government
さけ
sake
alcohol
no
of
提供ていきょう
teikyou
the serving
wo
on
まるまること
torishimaru koto
cracking down
についての
ni tsuite no
of
是非ぜひ
zehi ga
the pros and cons
われています。
towarete i masu.
have been brought into question

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