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I have often seen the aftermath of these company get-togethers. Getting the last train from Tokyo out to the suburbs is something I hate. The train is crowded with businessmen (and oftentimes, women as well) reeking of alcohol, stumbling on their way home. I have seen people pass out, get head butted in a drunken fight, and even had one fall on top of me. The strange thing is, no one gets mad at these drunkards or looks at them in pity. People make room for those who throw up and allow those sleeping in the train stations to lie still until they are able to move again. I remember
once, late at night, as I was going home I came across a man lying in the
middle of the sidewalk. He was well-dressed so I assumed he was not a homeless
man trying to take a nap. I assumed something was seriously wrong, that
he might need medial care. Using my limited Japanese I asked him if he
was okay. No answer. I asked him again. Suddenly, another businessman
appeared by my side and said `it`s okay. He`s drunk`, laughed and
walked on. Not speaking enough of the language, I moved on and hoped that
if the man really did need medical attention, someone would stop and help
him. I had learnt my lesson: businessmen (and women) are expected to get
so drunk that they cannot even find their way home. And, surprisingly they
were not getting drunk with friends, but most often with their coworkers.
Recently I got my very first gig teaching English to company employees. My students are not what I think of as typical businessmen and businesswomen. They are laidback and genuinely interested in learning English (many companies force their employees to study English which, as you can imagine, does not make for a very happy classroom environment). Therefore, when they invited me out to a welcoming party, I thought we would have a nice, relaxed time. The night of the party came and as I walked into the restaurant, so did the company president, i.e. the person who had hired me. Immediately, I started to regret having come. Would this guy be able to speak English? What would I say to him? How would my students act around him? I was no longer looking forward to the night. We all sat down and the president introduced himself (I had only met him briefly before). Luckily he spoke passable English. And, this being Japan, he next ordered a round of beer. I guess I should not have been surprised. The unexpectedness of seeing the president arrive at the party had caused me to forget all that I had heard about Japanese company parties. This would be very different from anything that I could expect to happen in North America. My students, the company employees, all began to relax in front of the president. Some of them seemed to be making a special effort to be polite to the president, but as the night wore on, and the drinks were poured, it was everyone for themself. Dinner turned
out to be quite pleasant. I do not remember the conversation in detail.
It was typical of many conversations I have had in Japan - comparing cultural
differences between Japan and my home country, seeing how much the foreigner
knows about Japanese food, etc. What I do remember is the continuous flow
of beer and that, at the end, no one made a move to pay except the president.
Not to worry though, this was a company party and so he would be reimbursed
later when he put in his claim for entertainment expenses.
Two hours of karaoke later, we all stepped out into the fresh air. I was extremely drunk, full, and sung-out. I was ready to go home and sleep. It was only 11pm, but we had been drinking since 6. I soon learned, though, that the night does not end until the boss says it is over. The president invited everyone to go for ramen (Japanese noodles). I considered it and decided that the night should end there for me. I had had fun, really enjoyed myself, but I felt that staying out any longer would be too much. One of my students felt the same way and we both started to say our goodbyes. Unfortunately, however, the president had decided it was not yet time to go home. He proceeded to quite forcibly persuade us to stay out. He said it would only be for a little while and the restaurant was quite close. Right away I got the message - it would be inappropriate to leave until the president himself was ready to go home. We all trooped off to the restaurant. As soon as we got there…you guessed it - more beer was ordered. And…pork ramen. I guess the president had forgotten that I am a vegetarian. The combination of all that beer and the smell of pork started to make me feel nauseous. I sat there trying to smile while I wondered what to do with my pork ramen. I did not want to be rude by not eating it, but, well, I couldn't. Luckily, one of my students noticed my discomfort and offered to eat my ramen. Thank God for guys with large appetites! He was able to finish his own ramen and mine. He also continued drinking the beer that kept arriving at our table. I had to put my hand over the top of my glass and keep it there to ensure that no more beer would be poured into my glass. At this point the president finally started to notice that I was tired out. The next thing I knew, he was motioning me outside into a waiting cab. Everybody quickly said their goodbyes and I was told to take the cab all the way home on the company bill. Taxis are extremely expensive in Japan so at first I protested at such an extravagance. But, I figured, if I was really going to experience Japanese corporate culture, I might as well experience this part as well. I reached home exhausted. The evening had been fun and quite educational. Now when my students say that they went out the night before with their colleagues, I understand what that entails and I try to go easy on them. For as fun as company drinking parties can be, I cannot imagine having to attend them all the time. The followig is Anna's first article for the magazine:
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Why
I Still Can't Speak Japanese ~ 