Japan End of Year Party Preferences: Updated Feb. 20, 2024.

 

60% of Japanese workers want no part of traditional New Year's office parties: survey

Article Source:  https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20231213/p2a/00m/0na/010000c

Ideas:

What used to be end of the year parties or gatherings, was common in many countries. But now maybe people want to have time on their own and or with their families and don't feel the need to spend more time with those from their office.

Maybe it was almost a mandatory dinner or party meeting where company workers were required and expected to attend. But since the pandemic, or even before, many workplace rituals have been changing as workers look for more work/life balance situations, which means of course less after work meetings and or dinners, and less parties.

Also, in South Korea, for example, because of the "me too" movement, there have been less meetings, dinner parties and after work gatherings, where men and women meet together, as companies shy away from such meetings and dinner parties.

Most likely, now, many workers no longer feel attending after work meetings or dinner parties is a requirement for advancement in the company. It used to be if you didn't attend the parties or dinner meetings, you were not considered advance-able to higher level positions. 

Now those times might be changing as maybe the workplace in Japan is not the center of the universe as people look to home, families, and work/life balance as being as important or more important.

But of course maybe in the old-line traditional Japanese companies, after work meetings, dinner parties, and end of year parties are still very important.

It seems that maybe Japanese workers are now tired of having to go the holiday parties and then again go to New Year parties, within a few weeks in most cases. 

In the US or Europe maybe there are fewer parties, if any, and they are for the most part, voluntary and not a job requirement.

Of course, maybe Japan is, or used to be about formality and end of the year meetings were always about ritual and customs, but maybe again,  since the pandemic or even before, Japan society has been changing from a group society to more based on individual happiness and less about group happiness.

Of course Japan has a lot of required rituals, such as end of the year gift giving, the summer Obon, gift giving that might not change much, but the end of year parties and regular dinner meetings might be on the way out or will be less emphasized in the future.

Have a nice day and be safe!