[Sunday Culture] Japan Also Slowly Enters Year-End Party Season... "Cheomjan" Instead of One-Shot

Starting from the Kamakura Period... Drinking Culture Since the Edo Period
Empty Glasses Are Rude, Toast Only Once

"It's the end of the year, so we should get together once."

The year-end party season is gradually approaching. Looking at the December calendar, there are so many occasions that it seems like this year will also be spent drinking. Still, since it is a time to spend with close people and express gratitude for the past year, it is an event that cannot be missed.

In Japan, just like in Korea, the year-end party season is beginning. In Japan, it is called 'B?nenkai (망년회·忘年?).' Today, we will share the year-end party culture of Japan. For convenience, the Japanese year-end party, distinguished from Korea's, will be referred to as B?nenkai.

B?nenkai is a culture that originated during the Kamakura period. Originally, it was a solemn gathering among the aristocratic class at the end of the year to exchange poems. It was far from the drinking parties we see today.

The form closer to what we know now began in the Edo period. The aristocratic year-end events spread to commoners, who added drinking to forget their worries.

At that time, the samurai class did not hold B?nenkai but instead held New Year parties, emphasizing the social gap between themselves and the residents.

Like Korea's year-end parties, B?nenkai in Japan became an annual event. This tradition solidified during the Meiji period. Students who stayed in Tokyo instead of returning to their hometowns at the end of the year, and government officials who received winter bonuses, developed this culture. Since students returned home at the beginning of the year, making New Year parties difficult, they held drinking gatherings at the end of the year. Meanwhile, officials held drinking parties around the time winter bonuses were paid, firmly rooting this culture.

During this period, Natsume S?seki's novel "I Am a Cat" featured the word 'B?nenkai' for the first time in Japanese literature, further imprinting this culture in people's minds.

In Japan, year-end parties are held in various settings such as workplaces and among acquaintances, similar to Korea. However, Japanese drinking culture differs somewhat from Korea's.

In Korean company dinners, it is customary to do a 'one shot'?drinking a full glass at once and showing the empty glass. The unspoken rule is that the first drink must be a one shot, and it is common to drink until the bottom of the glass is visible before refilling.

However, in Japan, showing the bottom of the glass is considered rude. Especially in business settings like companies, if you leave your companion's glass empty, it gives the impression that you are so focused on your own story that you do not care about your companion's glass. To show consideration during drinking, it is customary to pour more drinks (called 'tsumami') when the drink level has lowered somewhat.

Toasts are usually made only at the beginning and not during the drinking. Unlike in Korea, where people often drink together or clink glasses when the other raises their glass, in Japan this is quite different.

There is also a culture called 'Bureiko (無?講),' where social status is set aside and people freely enjoy themselves during drinking gatherings.

At a gathering I attended, there were Japanese university students and a company manager. The manager said, "I heard you guys do impressions of me well. I'm curious and want to hear them." Then the students next to him immediately imitated him. I was at a loss alone, but everyone was enjoying the atmosphere, which surprised me.

In Korea, this is often translated as 'nighttime talk time,' and in Japan, stories of new employees getting caught for swearing or speaking informally to their superiors during such times are often mentioned. Drinking parties are just drinking parties, but it is always important to maintain boundaries in social life.

Also, unless someone has to leave quickly to catch the last train, the organizer of the gathering sometimes performs 'Tejime (手締め)' to express gratitude for the safe conclusion. This is usually a closing clap performed by a senior person near the end of the drinking party. The rhythm of the clapping varies depending on the nature of the event?sometimes once, sometimes multiple times. The organizer briefly shares their thoughts on the year-end party, everyone claps in rhythm, and shouts "Thank you," marking the end of the gathering.

The drinking cultures of the two countries have similarities but also subtle differences. Above all, it is important not to overdrink and to finish safely without accidents. I hope everyone stays healthy and finishes the remaining month of this year well.