Enkai

Hey everyone~

Today, I'll be talking about the wonders of the enkai, the Japanese work party.

Enkais are really important in the Japanese culture, and they happen very often. Whenever there is a special occasion (for example, the start of a new year, the end of a year, welcome/farewell parties, etc), an enkai is held. At enkais, all members must pay a fee for food as well as drinks. This flat fee often allows you to drink as much alcohol as you want for two hours, "nomihodai" (all you can drink).

These enkais aren't just parties, but also catalysts for social communication and bonding among co-workers outside of the workplace. While some people order water or oolong tea, most of the others drink lots of alcohol; the most popular two choices being beer (namabiiru, which is whatever beer is on tap) and sake (nihonshu). The introduction of alcohol helps break down the formal work atmosphere and allows the workers to get to know each other on a personal level.

Personally, I don't like going to enkais very much. Don't get me wrong, there have been a few that I enjoyed: my welcome party with my base school and the two welcome parties with my visit school.

The former was with just the English teachers at my base school and the latter ones were with my visit school. I was terrified of going to the visit school enkai especially because my visit school co-workers don't really speak English at all. The first was an all-faculty enkai at a yakiniku place (sweet, delicious grilled meat)...and I was placed far from the two people I usually talk to. In fact, I was super nervous because I ended up being placed right across the table from the principal (eek!), but he was super nice and the people around us were really easy to talk to and get along with. I didn't need to worry as much as I did :] A few days after, I had an enkai with the women faculty at my visit school. The women are all very close, since there are very few women faculty members at my almost all-boys visit school. It was a very intimate and friendly atmosphere.

The other enkais that I've been to haven't been as fun. These ones involve faculty (who I don't normally interact with) who could care less about the hassle involved in talking with me, so they ignore me all together. They speak too fast and speak about topics that I couldn't possibly have the vocabulary to comprehend. If I'm lucky, I'll speak to someone about 2-3 times for a few minutes in the course of an enkai. People that I can communicate to often sit very far from me, too.

In addition to this awkwardness, I try not to go to these very often because 1) I don't drink, 2) they are very expensive, and 3) you don't eat as much food as you pay for (quality or quantity). They cost ￥5000 each, and, like I said, they happen often. I got invited to at least 6 this past week...and if I went to each, I'd be dropping about $220 total to go to parties that I'd be sitting alone awkwardly at. No, thank you!

You know what? Maybe I'd like going to these if they were cheaper, but even then, I'd rather not pay to get ignored at one of these things... I miss being able to express myself in English...

Anyways, there are a few things that I'm gonna miss about Japan, but enkais are definitely not one of them! じゃ、またねー！ (Well, until next time, see ya!)