In recent times the news has been dominated by the ongoing Coronavirus and the many measures people have had to take so as to battle the illness. From excessive cleansing to extreme rationing of shopping, individuals and businesses have felt the full effect of the virus up and down the country.

One of the measures suggested by the government is the idea that individuals should stay home as much as possible, work from home and should avoid all non-essential congregations, such as Hanami parties or Nomikais.

Anybody with a basic knowledge of Japan will know how difficult it can be for members of Japanese society to avoid and refrain from going to drinking parties or social gatherings, as we regularly see photos of businessmen taking naps in the strangest of places or positions as they make their way home from a business nomikai.

But it’s not just businessmen who feel the effects of social distancing, as the country continues to go down a road leading to a potential lockdown, everybody, from students to housewives, will need to show self-restraint and will most probably begin to feel depressed or under the weather as they can no longer share time with friends and loved ones.

Enter Tacnom, an online drinking party tool which allows you to enjoy talking and celebrating with your favourite people whilst you stay at home avoiding unnecessary contact. Tacnom comes from the Japanese term takunomi 宅飲み meaning "drink at home."

With Tacnom, you can start a video call with friends automatically just by accessing a shared URL code. Unlike other video calling tools, the people behind Tacnom plan to introduce features optimized for holding a drinking party, such as the ability to order food and drinks, a timer that can be set so that your party doesn’t run over and an album function for automatically viewing photos taken during the event.

The plan to introduce a delivery service to the application will see Tacnom teaming up with local restaurants that can deliver cuisine to those who are self-isolating. In doing so, the hope is that Tacnom will not only be helping those stuck at home but also give a boost to the economy by keeping restaurants up and running.

The biggest reason behind the release of Tacnom at this time is that the spread of COVID-19 has made it difficult for people to go out and meet friends and colleagues. Takashi Kiyose, the man behind Tacnom, felt disappointment at the fact that there was no farewell party for his friend at work. He also felt that as he travels between Tokyo and his hometown for work, that he can not meet his own family, as he worries that he could possibly spread the infection unknowingly to his older parents and grandparents.

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Tacnom is an environment where people can easily drink online and meet with people who would normally meet if it weren't for the current restrictions. So get your party hats out, settle down with a beer or cocktail and enjoy the company of friends through Tacnom.

*Tacnom is currently only available on PC, Android 10 or iOS 13 and higher. The company is continuously working to make Tacnom available on all platforms.