Dear Abby: First international business trip raises cultural questions

Dear Abby: I’m worried for my son. He’s going on his first business trip in January — to Japan. He doesn’t drink alcohol. (He’s not an alcoholic; it’s his personal choice.) His bosses, who do business there frequently, are now telling him that the Japanese will not do business with you unless you drink with them first.

Can you find out if this is true? And, if it is, what can, or should, my son do?

Worried Mom

Dear Worried: Although alcohol can be a part of an important bonding ritual across East Asia, your son may be able to forge successful business relationships in other ways.