http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_flush_reaction
Alcohol flush reaction (colloquially referred to as Asian Flush, Asian Turn Red Syndrome, Asian Red, Asian Glow or "The Sniffles") is a condition in which the face and/or body experiences flushes or blotches, due to an accumulation of acetaldehyde. The acetaldehyde accumulation can be caused by a missense polymorphism that encodes the enzyme, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2),[1] normally responsible for breaking down acetaldehyde, a product of the metabolism of alcohol [...]
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ ... 714rh.html
Forty to 45 percent of Japanese people have an inactive form of ALDH called ALDH2, which means they suffer those unpleasant consequences if they drink alcohol.
That could explain this:
What do you people think?