By the way, having lived in Japan for this
whole year I never heard that song played here until New Year's Eve.Ý
Anyway now on to my New Year's in Japan...drum rollÝplease.
ÝÝÝ So Rafi and I were back from our Thailand
trip on Sunday the 26th and we returned to work the next day.Ý That
Tuesday was the official last working day of the year.Ý I walked
in, the bell chimed at 8:30am followed by the usual announcements
and bows all around and then I sat down following a pattern that
has been beat into my head since I first came here, but this day was
different.Ý Just then as I was checking my email, I noticed everyone in
my office with either rag or mop in hand.Ý My direct supervisor got
up on his desk and made his way to the light overhead.Ý One of the
ladies that had just served me and the rest of us tea said something
to me in Japanese and took the tea away.Ý I was I to know that this
day would be the "Cleaning Day >from H--E--double chopsticks"?Ý Everyone
started wiping down things, moving furniture and rolling up their
sleeves.Ý I felt a little lost.Ý Was there a system to this?Ý The
Japanese have a system for everything.Ý At first I thought I wanted
to help, but what if I interfere with the system and just get in
the way.Ý If they had a system for cleaning did they include my duties?Ý
So far no one told me to clean but I was the only one not cleaning
and I felt a little left out.Ý Well I wasn't going to have them think I
was "above" cleaning so I asked for a rag.Ý They were a little shocked
that I wanted to join in and scurried for some kind of rag.Ý Now
I had a wet rag in my hand, dripping on the floor...what now?Ý Okay,
look around and see what needs to be cleaned...learned that logic
from the parents...thanks M&D.Ý Well there was a top of a file
cabinet that was yet to be touched...I was off on my cleaning journey.Ý
We were done after a couple hours, but I think that time was stretched
out to its maximum because people weren't in a hurry to go back to
real work.Ý
ÝÝÝ The rest of day went pretty much as any
other day until 3pm.Ý That was when the whole town office got together
for the year-end meeting.Ý From what I observed it was a few speeches
given by the higher ups...i.e. the mayor...saying how the past year
was a success and thanking everyone for their effort.Ý Then each
section of the town office had a separate meeting, I think doing the same
thing and then we were dismissed.Ý By the way, cleaning for the New
Year is a tradition in Japan.Ý Everyone cleans their workplaces and
their homes...much like our Spring-cleaning in America.
ÝÝÝ So I was off to Kiryu to join Rafi and our
trip to Tokyo where we would spend New Year's.Ý We were going to
stay with a couple that Rafi knows and who I know now having seen
them on a few occasions prior.Ý We stayed in Tokyo for...I think
4 days.Ý I learned more about the Japanese New Year there.Ý For example,
another Japanese tradition for New Year's is to send out New Year's
cards to everyone...much like our tradition at Christmas.Ý Most of these
cards are computer-generated postcards with a message.Ý Also there is a
special type of dinner people eat for New Year's Day.Ý It has many
different kinds of food that is only eaten for that day.Ý One very common
food item is Omochi.Ý How does one describe it?Ý Okay, it looks like
uncooked bread dough and is placed in soups mostly.Ý It is extremely chewy
and many times it comes in huge sizes...maybe a few inches across so you
either have to cut it or pick it up and tear off a piece.Ý We were
told that many older people and some children sometimes choke on
it...how comforting for New Year's.ÝAnother food is black beans...reminded
me of my days in New Orleans.Ý Anyway that was the food that stuck
in my throat...uh...mind.Ý
ÝÝÝ Oh now aboutÝour New Year's Eve.ÝFirst it
isÝtradition to eat soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat.Ý
Another tradition is to visit a shrine.Ý The most traditional place
to go to in all Japan is the Meji Shrine in Tokyo.Ý When New Year's
is shown across the world that place in shown in Japan.Ý So we waited
with the thousands of other people and it was getting really place
to midnight, but you had to remind yourself of it because there wasn't
any kind of countdown...nothing.Ý Then a monk hits the drum and that
was the "New Year's Celebration".Ý There were a few yells in the
crowd saying "Happy New Year" but that was from the few foreigners that
were there.Ý The Japanese were, in my opinion, extremely reserved.Ý
Talk about anticlimactic.Ý That was the start of the millennium?Ý
We waited a thousand years to watch some guy hit a drum in almost
complete silence?Ý Are you kidding me?Ý Where's the fireworks, the
confetti?Ý Where's the hype, the fireworks?Ý Did I mention there
weren't any fireworks there?Ý Not even a balloon launch.Ý Rafi and
I just kinda stood there...looked at each other and I said, "I guess
that was it."Ý Then we continued to walk the way into the shrine
where it is tradition to throw money at the base and hope for a good
New Year.Ý I say the base because at first I thought one was just
supposed to throw money as far as he could so I took a ten-yen coin
and from 60yrds away made it to the roof...then I found out about
the base part.Ý A side note is that we were warned before venturing out
that people try to throw money from way back in line and sometimes people
don't quite make it to the shrine and get someone's unknowing head
instead.Ý No problem there this time.Ý So then we left and that was
the "excitement" for New Year's.Ý About 30mns later Rafi said..."Oh
yeah Happy New Year"...to which I retorted, "Oh...right...Happy New
Year"...the delay in saying it should tell you how much we were out
of it.Ý Many Japanese people go to a mountain or other good place
and watch the sunrise.Ý We skipped this.
ÝÝÝ So to cut some more things out that don't
matter all that much we were back to our homes and I started work
the next day.Ý Work started out the same way it ended but in opposite
order.Ý First each town office section, mine being the Board of Education,
got together for a meeting and then after the whole town office got
together for a meeting.Ý I don't know exactly but based on what I
know about the Japanese I'm sure each speech said something along the lines
of..."this is a New Year...please do your best this year and treat me
kindly."Ý Also the "new" employees from last year give a short speech
saying they are new and they hope their working relationship with the rest
of the office goes well.Ý I say "new" because all of them were hired
last April so they've been working at this job for 8 months but this
is the only opportunity they can address the whole body.Ý On a side
note the Japanese are hired in April...and April only.Ý So great
bonds are formed with those people a person is hired with.Ý Also
April is the time people get transferred or retire.Ý People only
stay in a job position for so long and then are transferred.Ý Not
a promotion really just a different job.Ý
ÝÝÝ Throughout the rest of the day, and even
now, IÝam on "Bow Watch".Ý People that I've never seen before come
in and depending on their importance either the whole office stands
up and bows or just a section does when he comes to it.Ý I never
know which to do so I just watch what everyone else does.Ý Many times
a business card is given.Ý Again each person says in Japanese "Happy
New Year" and "I hope we have a good relationship this year."
ÝÝÝ Well that basically was my New Year.Ý I've
come a long way in my understanding of Japan's New Year's.Ý I remember
last year when my barber's wife gave me an omochi branch that consisted
of colored omochi (it's the food mentioned before but I didn't know
that) balls that are stuck to a little tree branch like marshmallows.Ý
Well last year the thought crossed my mind that it was a decoration
and maybe I should stick it in my "lawn" (there aren't really in
lawns in Japan).Ý Glad I didn't do that since I later learned it was for
roasting on the fire...once again like marshmallows.Ý I'm sure if I did
though it would have been quite the story with the townspeople.Ý
ÝÝÝ That sums it up.