Departments
Intermediate Japanese - Free Online Course
BŌNEN-KAI
忘年会
"forget-the-year party"
The bōnen-kai roughly corresponds to the “holiday parties” that American corporations hold each year in December. There are, however, a few key differences. Whereas the American corporate holiday party may be a company-wide affair, the bōnen-kai is a much more intimate gathering, usually limited to the members of a single section or department. The Japanese bōnen-kai is also marked by more enthusiasm. American workers may grouse about the prospect of forced conviviality with colleagues; but Japanese workers seem to genuinely enjoy this annual get-together.
A great deal of planning precedes the bōnen-kai. The event may consist of several “stages”: perhaps a group dinner, followed by a trip to a local bar and a session of karaoke. Moreover, the bōnen-kai is often a drunken affair, and a chance for everyone to “let their hair down.” But this is consistent with the spirit of the event: the purpose of the bōnen-kai is to forget the frustrations and problems of the previous year.
