個性, Individuality...Thats All that Needs to be Said
Finally getting back to Tokyo after a three-day trip over in Kyoto for the Japanese Golden "Week," the first thing on my (and apparently, many others') minds were...eh, partying. One day of work on Friday was followed by another regular two-day weekend to close out the maddeningly long vacation period that is oh-so rare for the Japanese salary-men. And to help close out (mentally) the vacation, I had the opportunity to attend another nomikai of the 2011 Rakuten new grads.
I have to say that these guys just never fail to impress me with their unique characters, whether sober or drunk. While it is impressive enough that they can still manage to pull together more than 100 people for a drink after work, but it is simply astounding that these guys, even after a month of grueling training program and systematic brainwashing by the company ideologies, they still manage to maintain their personalities and characters.
個性 (individuality) was the word of the night. From my professions of quitting the company to protect who I am to (amazingly) those new grads who will eventually also leave for the same reason, the words flying across the gigantic noisy drunken venue was just so so different from anything I have experienced with my other coworkers at nomikai or 2010 guys on drunken vacations.
And it was by all means a true celebration of unity in individuality. A girl dancing by herself on the massive stage in the front was greeted with wild cheers from the entire crowd. People danced with her downstairs while shouts and applauses continued unabated. Yet to me, all that was not the alcohol acting up, nor was it a display of "immaturity" (as our older colleagues at the company will tell you).
The shouts and cheers were sheer and fully conscious admiration and celebration of people being who they are and not being afraid to show it to all others. It is about praising and encouraging the very act of "standing out from the crowd," something that is pretty much considered a taboo in Japanese corporate culture. Yes, of course it is true that people, no matter how busy at work, do have other lives often incongruous with their at-work selves, but (I truly hope) that these guys dancing and drinking away at Shinjuku last night are going to somehow draw equal signs between their at-work and off-work selves.
「人は財なり」...I have said it before and will say it again: if the very characteristics of being human are to be suppressed and destroyed by the system for being sources of "ungrateful" dissidence, then are those people who survive such ideological brainwashing even human enough to be considered people? In a society where innovative ideas, perhaps even more than simple work ethics (as defined by unquestioning obedience to authorities) is difference-makers among people, shouldn't 個性 be the greatest asset of any person?
11:30pm...as the clock ticks down toward the departure of the last train out of Shinjuku, dozens of people quietly exits the venue. And with the training for the new grads all but completely over, for some, I am afraid, it will mark the final end to their being part of this currently unbroken group of new grads. And I am afraid, in a few months, some will be "matured" by the company into the model salary-men for which corporate Japan is so well-known.
But it is my most sincere hope that some, at least some, within this group gathered will remember tonight, and the many nights of drinking and entertainment before this, as a sign that this group, and each one of its members, is unique and special. We all know corporate Japan is a monster at enforcing conformity, but as the corporate Japan is proven to be a pure loser on the global stage, someone will have to step up and reform it. Why not let those who are not already destroyed by the existing system to take up the task?
I have to say that these guys just never fail to impress me with their unique characters, whether sober or drunk. While it is impressive enough that they can still manage to pull together more than 100 people for a drink after work, but it is simply astounding that these guys, even after a month of grueling training program and systematic brainwashing by the company ideologies, they still manage to maintain their personalities and characters.
個性 (individuality) was the word of the night. From my professions of quitting the company to protect who I am to (amazingly) those new grads who will eventually also leave for the same reason, the words flying across the gigantic noisy drunken venue was just so so different from anything I have experienced with my other coworkers at nomikai or 2010 guys on drunken vacations.
And it was by all means a true celebration of unity in individuality. A girl dancing by herself on the massive stage in the front was greeted with wild cheers from the entire crowd. People danced with her downstairs while shouts and applauses continued unabated. Yet to me, all that was not the alcohol acting up, nor was it a display of "immaturity" (as our older colleagues at the company will tell you).
The shouts and cheers were sheer and fully conscious admiration and celebration of people being who they are and not being afraid to show it to all others. It is about praising and encouraging the very act of "standing out from the crowd," something that is pretty much considered a taboo in Japanese corporate culture. Yes, of course it is true that people, no matter how busy at work, do have other lives often incongruous with their at-work selves, but (I truly hope) that these guys dancing and drinking away at Shinjuku last night are going to somehow draw equal signs between their at-work and off-work selves.
「人は財なり」...I have said it before and will say it again: if the very characteristics of being human are to be suppressed and destroyed by the system for being sources of "ungrateful" dissidence, then are those people who survive such ideological brainwashing even human enough to be considered people? In a society where innovative ideas, perhaps even more than simple work ethics (as defined by unquestioning obedience to authorities) is difference-makers among people, shouldn't 個性 be the greatest asset of any person?
11:30pm...as the clock ticks down toward the departure of the last train out of Shinjuku, dozens of people quietly exits the venue. And with the training for the new grads all but completely over, for some, I am afraid, it will mark the final end to their being part of this currently unbroken group of new grads. And I am afraid, in a few months, some will be "matured" by the company into the model salary-men for which corporate Japan is so well-known.
But it is my most sincere hope that some, at least some, within this group gathered will remember tonight, and the many nights of drinking and entertainment before this, as a sign that this group, and each one of its members, is unique and special. We all know corporate Japan is a monster at enforcing conformity, but as the corporate Japan is proven to be a pure loser on the global stage, someone will have to step up and reform it. Why not let those who are not already destroyed by the existing system to take up the task?
instead of
ReplyDelete"matured" by the company , I would say people will grow from the process and find what they want. Well, there is no doubt that most of them will become the classic corporate warriors who are eating too much, drinking too much and of course working too hard. But it is important that we will never put the quality of our life in the hands of commercial corporation. If we dun`t design our life, someone else will design it for us , and we may just not like their idea. I am sure that you have more feeling on it.
Yeah, you are totally right about that...but in the end, it is really all about how we define what is "mature"...is giving up "child-like" entertainment and narcissism in exchange for stable family, work, etc. the definite sign of "maturity"? I mean, I do understand that as people grow older, they do calm down quite a bit, but that does not mean people need to mold their own personalities to fit in with the surroundings...
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