I joined the factory team’s “shokibarai” — a Japanese summer tradition of getting together for drinks to chase away the heat. 😄 It had been a while since I’d seen these workmates, and the fun was about to begin. The party started at 6:30 p.m. on the 3rd. A new employee and I came over from a different worksite. Thanks to a senior colleague who drove us to the station right at the end-of-shift bell, we arrived by 6 p.m. — the first ones there. This time there were several people I’d never drunk with before: new hires, mid-career hires, and people who had transferred in. After the plant manager’s speech and introductions from the newcomers, we raised our glasses. What struck me was that young people these days drive to the party and don’t drink alcohol at all — they enjoy the meal with a glass of cola. Everyone around me was drinking cola. Times have changed. The new guy is underage, so that’s fair enough. 🙄 (In my day, we drank regardless…) The venue was Morinoya, a traditional Japanese restaurant about 15 minutes by bus from the station and a 10-minute walk from the factory. I’d always been curious about it but had never visited. It has a lovely old-farmhouse atmosphere, and the course dinner was excellent — every dish was delicious.
The Long-Awaited Companions Arrive
I forgot to take photos. 😣 At 7 p.m., the much-awaited companion hostesses arrived and the party kicked up a notch. The first young woman at my table was 19, couldn’t drink, and studies at a nursing school. The next one came over with a highball in hand and was great fun — my highballs went down fast. Another was from Aomori and a great conversationalist; the colleague next to me is also from Aomori, so the two of them hit it off, him with his cola in hand. Fun times fly — when I looked at my watch it was already 9:30 p.m., time to wrap up.
An Invitation to the After-Party
After the closing remarks came the invitation to the after-party: karaoke with the young folks who barely drink, the plant manager, and people from our partner companies. It was a blast, and a truly worthwhile evening. These young people were nothing like the image I had of them. At the factory they seem so quiet and focused on their work, so this was a real discovery. And could they sing! I never would have guessed. You really don’t know people until you spend time with them. We sang and drank until the last train from Kuki Station. Why does fun time always pass so quickly? 😲
Perfect Timing
This shokibarai was a good one. It was exactly one month since I changed worksites, and the stress had been building up, so this breath of fresh air came at just the right moment. The organizer, whose father fell ill the day before, couldn’t attend even though he had set everything up. Thank you, kanji-san!
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