Japanese pilots have strict rules on drinking alcohol. Because of the nature of their job, they cannot consume alcoholic beverages 12 hours before their duty to ensure a safe flight.

Pilots can get fired for violating drinking rules. A record of alcohol violations may also hamper their employment.

The transport ministry has suspended two former pilots of Japan Airlines (JAL) for trying to cover up their binge drinking.

“The pair were fired by JAL after a flight from Melbourne to Tokyo in December was delayed for three hours because alcohol exceeding the allowed limit was detected in their systems,” Nel News Asia reports.

Meanwhile, popular Japanese actor and model Ryo Yoshizawa has lost his contract with beverage giant Asahi Breweries to endorse its low-alcohol content beer.

“We have decided to terminate our contract” with Yoshizawa, Asahi Group Holdings spokesperson Shiori Shimizu told Agence France-Presse on 7 January. “We will no longer use him in our future advertisements.”

“As an alcohol beverage company, we consider his actions unacceptable,” Shimizu said, AFP reports.

According to Shimizu, the 30-year-old former endorser of Asahi’s 3.5-percent Super Dry Dry Crystal beer got drunk and mistakenly entered his neighbor’s apartment on 30 December.

Yoshizawa apologized to his surprised neighbor for the “major trouble he caused,” his talent agency Amuse said, adding that the actor had vacated his apartment.