How to Party

This year I have been asked to contribute in the organization of our company’s Christmas party. While the thought of a Christmas party usually conjures up carol singing, present giving, leaving work early and coming in late the next day, the Japanese location poses some different ideals. One needs to consider the local context of a Christmas party and thus this has me pondering how to ensure the best Christmas party in the mind of foreign and Japanese colleagues alike…. no easy task!

Prior to moving to Japan my experiences of Christmas parties were very positive. A time when we all rejoiced in the fact that we were about to get 2 weeks holiday, summer had arrived and we had reached the end of another year. The mood was always very energized and celebratory – colleagues coming together in a festive spirit. There was always a good spread of traditional Christmas dinner, free-flowing alcohol, games, awards, dancing, and many funny stories along with hangovers the next day.

My experiences of corporate Christmas parties in Japan haven’t quite offered the same kind of experience. I wouldn’t expect them to – Christmas in Japan is a very different occasion than what it is in the west. Despite the Christmas parties being labeled as such, they have essentially been simply end-of-year parties. No Christmas carols provided the background music, no silly hats, earrings or brooches that are usually spotted back home, no gift-giving, game playing, no Santa, and also where food seems to outweigh alcohol supply in importance by most patrons - generally the opposite of what I was used to prior to coming to Japan. Being a party in Japan, there are also the usual protocols regarding the many speeches, etc – all the things that if absent, wouldn’t constitute the event as a true party in this country.

What is similar, though, is the general feeling of festivity – feelings of accomplishment and also general goodwill… appreciation for fellow colleagues and for the year you have survived together. For foreign companies in Japan, what tends to result is mixture of different traditions and, really, there are no rules. To illustrate this, Christmas parties I have experienced here have included being treated to bus tours, nightclubbing, and even a transvestite show….. none of which have been all that ‘Christmas-ie’, but fun nonetheless.

I think that as a foreigner or a Japanese involved in the organization of your company’s Christmas/end-of-year do, it is the opportunity to introduce some new traditions for a company that may survive well after you leave the organization and indeed the country. Simple things like award ceremonies – both serious and less so are enjoyed regardless of culture. At the same time, you don’t want to enforce your traditions on others, so it requires a careful balance.

So, with this all in mind, I am carefully considering food supply, pondering possible games that can be played regardless of native language (we have Japanese-only speakers, English-only speakers and everything in between at our company). What is always a challenge is to get some people to physically leave their desks for the party, and indeed not race back to them at their earliest possibility. This seems to be more of a challenge in Japan, although there are always a few people in any company around the world that take their dedication to their work and company just that much more seriously. In Japan with the high regard for strong corporate commitment, it is generally a good idea to make the party offsite, or at least a fair distance from the office, to avoid the temptation to escape and also to get work out of sight and hopefully out of mind.

I think the office Christmas party in any company in Japan with both foreign and Japanese employees is perhaps symbolic of the cultural balance that is constantly a consideration. My goal is therefore a fusion of foreign-style Christmas party, and Japanese-style end-of-year party – at this stage it seems like a lot of work needs to be done, but perhaps the combination will ensure everyone has double the fun!