Bonenkai Season

Year-end parties - called bonenkai in Japanese - are a very popular part of the business and social culture here. Bonenkai literally means "forget-the-year party", and marks a release from whatever evils this year had brought in preparation to move on, without burdens, into the new year.

Though we are not exactly in bonenkai season yet, the time is getting close, and tonight we went to two separate parties- one, a bonenkai; and the other, a welcome party for two of our newest employees.

I was the designated driver and refrained from overimbibing - for which I'm sure I'll be thankful tomorrow!

Party One was a fun chance to catch up with some old students/friends:




Party number two saw the introduction of bottle of Fireball...


Over the next couple of weeks we will be increasingly busy socializing and working and going to conferences, and more.

Tomorrow, though, is mine. My day to bask in solitude and shut out the world for just a few precious hours...