A Ragtag "Camping" Trip and the Japanese Sense of Humor

As hard as people work here in Japan, there is always a need for holidays and vacations for the average salary-man like me just like white collar workers in any other part of the world. The "getting away from it all" sort of feeling is especially necessary in a city like Tokyo, where the endless concrete jungle simply let her residents feel a complete segregation from nature.

But big words and feelings of adventure aside, people sometimes just need a reason to congregate and socialize, even in an environment where they seem to see each practically everyday for some serious matter. As I stated before, the separation of meeting for work and meeting for fun is so completely possible without a slightest hint of awkwardness.

I thought that "meeting for fun" with your coworkers somehow stayed in the vicinity of the local drinking spot to complain about how difficult work is, but the past weekend was a real eye-opener for understanding how intimate a bunch of young professionals can really get outside of the usual environment regarding the usual talks of business.

I decided to go on this trip along with some new graduates who entered the company at April of this year for a trip to a lake near Mt. Fuji. The camping trip was one for working out the details of the upcoming business plan contest at the company and of course, to get to know each other a bit more. But from the beginning, it deviated quickly from my original expectations.

The alcohol started flowing right after we got to the cottage in the middle of the mountains. The initial meeting centered around getting people to propose potential business plans, but the alcohol made the discussion perhaps a bit too lively for a logical progression of ideas. Drinking only made the meeting more awkward as people who talk talked more and people who dont just sat there extremely confused.

So much for thinking about work when drinking. More drinking for the guys as they headed for the hot springs nearby. In classic Japanese style, everyone got in the same bath completely naked and joked around as a bottle of strong sake is passed around. The outgoing commentary here would have flabbergasted any Westerner with any sense of privacy....

Then came the dinner. The alcohol came in full force, and since the conversation is now in Japanese, even those who were quiet during the English meeting exploded into ecstasy (ok, maybe a bit exaggeration there). The conversation started turning lewd at a surprisingly fast speed considering the presence of female members, who are, even at the end, did not show too much drunkenness.

And then the endgame. Guys sleeping next each other, guys making out with each other, and guys exposing and touching each other in completely inappropriate ways. The guys laughed, the girls laughed, everyone seemed to be in complete joy as they headed for bed. The next day, the reference to the night before was frequently heard, but none seemed to be too concerned with what had happened.

So here I am sitting in an Internet cafe on the morning of a random day off on a Wednesday wondering what exactly "holiday" means for the Japanese. Their sense of humor seems to be unbeatable when they are drunk, but also completely devoid of nuance. I hate to say it, but when I look back, these sort of humor and vacation really tires me out from a mental standpoint....