New Year's Observance...

...Is a big thing here in the land of the rising sun. As I may have mentioned, the office is closed the entire first week of January to allow people to observe the holidays. Much like Christmas, the time off allows people to spend time with their family - most travel home - as well as watching the first sunrise (considered very lucky) and going to the appropriate shrines/temples. Part of the shrine/temple visit* is to ask for good luck in the coming year.

The above is the basic "knowledge of Japan" information. What I didn't know, however, is what companies do at the beginning of the year. In short, the company also asks for good luck. Here's how it went down on our first day back to the office in 2008...

7:45 am - Announcement comes on over the loudspeaker that all employees should report to the cafeteria for the New Year's Ceremony. This announcement is repeated at 5 minute intervals until 8:15, when everyone finally leaves their desks.

8:15 - People file into the cafeteria, where all the tables and chairs have been removed. They line up in tightly packed rows facing a low podium and some Japanese drums which have been set up close to the far wall. No one except the people in the first 2 rows can see a thing, so large screens which show what is happening are also up on that wall, hanging from the ceiling.

8:20 - The drums start. This is actually pretty cool, since the drummers are decent and they do a nice traditional drumming thing.

8:22 - The drummers stop and some super-cheesy music plays over the loudspeaker while the executive board and CEO come in.

8:25 - The CEO gives a mindnumbing speech about this year's goals

8:30 - Another executive gets up and gets the crowd going with some cheers. I realize that the place is 99% men and thus the "banzai"'s are very manly-sounding. Don't think I have been in a crowd of only men cheering before, it is odd-sounding.

8:32 - More executives speak. They are boring. I spot a female co-worker and spend some time trying to make eye contact with her. She is being good though and stares straight ahead at the person in front of her's back.

8:34 - Still speaking. I realize that at 5 ft. 10 in. in (low!) heels, I am among the tallest people in the room. If someone took a picture I would ruin it with my non-similarity. No work uniform, female, tall...

8:38 - The highlight of the event. Two employees with traditional Japanese jackets over their uniforms (bearing the company logo, natch) come to the podium. One is bearing what looks like a large gift. The gift is handed to the CEO (when did he get back up there?), and he hands it to the other employee. The employee now holding the package takes off. This is the ceremonial "first shipment/delivery."

8:40 - After the executives file out (again with the cheesy music playing), all 2000 or so of us try to simultaneously exit through the same set of double doors.

And then it is back to our desks, where it is back to work as usual.


*So there is Shintoism and Buddhism, and most people in Japan observe both religions. One has temples, the other has shrines. You go to temples for some occasions and shrines for others. Only I don't remember which is which.