bonenkai

its a tradition for Japanese companies to hold a year end party. In Japanese, that is known as Bonenkai. how is it different from the Christmas Parties that your company organizes? there are a couple of difference i think.
first of all, its in the issue of the pocket. at bonenkais, the participants will be the ones paying the tab. christmas parties - free food, booze, and then some all from the courtesy of your very own company.

while we receive and give gifts at christmas parties, none of that ever takes place at bonenkais. instead, your bosses go around offering sake to everyone, and personally thanking each loyal subject for his/her hardwork, and asking that the same effort be exerted in the coming new year.

its hardly a christmas party without games, dancing and singing. far as i could tell, its the role of the newest recruit to provide entertainment for everyone at bonenkais. anything goes. you can gulp down a liter of sake or soda. you can imitate your favorite celebrity or even say funny stuff to the president of the company. just make sure that it is within the boundaries.

at bonenkais, it doesnt matter how many people attend. even if you are a company of 300, but only 20 commits, it still takes place. more food for everyone i guess. at christmas parties, its the moment where we dust off that special outfit. be in our best look, with our hair exceptionally combed, and our shoes shined we could almost see our own reflection on it. bottomline, at christmas parties, for a company with 300 employees, youre lucky if not all 300 will attend.

lastly, this is common in any gathering. we go to these events because we want to spend quality time with our friends. what makes these even better is when we meet new ones.


- just blog it