Enkai, a Japanese dinner party, is a bit different from a "wine & cheese" because your place at the table is assigned and people usually stay in their seat from the beginning to the end of a party. This is not like a Western style party, where guests hold a glass of wine, walk around rooms, have short and diverse conversations with strangers, or simply dance the night away. As you would expect from our culture, the Japanese get to know each other at enkai parties slowly and with the utmost politeness! Knowing when to pour alcohol for others is key. It is considered impolite if someone's sake cup is not filled up and, because we drink in very small cups, this happens frequently! Whenever your companions see your cup is only half filled, they will try to top it up. Even if you say, "No, thanks, I'm fine, REALLY, no, really, I don't need any...," the typical reply is, "Mah mah mah mah!" (Come on! One more!), and they will pour away! The only way to really say "NO" is to always keep your glass full to the brim.
It would be tuff not to be in a real pickle here, since refusing would no doubt be an insult to the Japanese culture. So now you can carry a purse size digital alcohol checker
to see if you can drive home.
hope4others
http://technology.sympatico.msn.ca/Wasabi/Articles/Digital%20Alcohol%20Checker