Vacation time is over and I am at the Kencho this entire week. I have plenty to do though, so no worries. I'm actually rather happy to have a few days here to get my mind back in gear and to be able to prep a few things before I hit the classrooms next week.
When I got here this morning, though, I noticed that all the men were wearing suits. "Hmmm," I thought, "wonder what's going on." I wasn't sure if this was just a first day back at work type of thing or what, but coming in dressed in only my pants and turtleneck I wondered if I was going to be underdressed for something. Normally these guys wear buttoned shirts with collars and about half the time they wear ties, but it is all very casual looking most of the time, so usually my pants and turtlenecks are fine (this has become my cool weather attire). But this morning they all looked a bit more formal.
Then, about ten minutes later, Ono-san says to me, "Ahh, Mr. Marcus, today...11:45am...office picture," and explained what it was. Ah ha! So I said to him, "Um, I didn't dress for it," not thinking of getting out of it but just to let him know that I was aware of the rags I was wearing. "It's ok," he said back to me, smiling, and probably thinking to himself, "These stupid foreigners. Don't they know anything? We do this every year!"
So a little after 11:30am we all headed out to get our picture taken. The whole Kencho was down there in the parking lot and they had small sets of metal steps that were staggered (kinda like a small set of bleachers) with a row of about eight seats in front of each of them, and in front of each setup there was a camera on a tripod. So we waited our turn (I guess each group represented an office) and then got up on the steps, had two shots taken of us, and that was it. I was definitely the most underdressed guy around, but it wasn't really that bad. I just look at it as I am representing us Californians and we are known for our casual dress.
A little later the lunch announcement came on and I got up to leave when Yamaki-san looked at me and then said something to Ono-san who said to me, "Mr. Marcus, today we have sushi lunch," and motioned "here, in the office". They had told me about this two weeks ago and I had forgotten about it in the aftermath of that rather disappointing end-of-year soba lunch, but I sat back down and waited. I do like sushi.
So I began reading thinking that lunch would arrive soon. But about ten minutes later Ono says to me, "Sushi is delayed." "Hmmm, yes, I can see that," I thought as my stomach's gastric juices circled like a shark in thin chum. But he assured me that it would arrive at 12:30.
But apparently 12:30 actually meant 1:10 because it was ten minutes after the return-to-your-menial-tasks-you-drones music that signals the end of lunch sounded. So at 1:00pm I was actually wondering if dinner would be my next meal. But, thank the Shinto gods, the sushi showed up and we ate, albeit rather quickly. It was just your average sushi but was good and was appreciated much more after thinking that it wouldn't be coming at all.
And one more thing on this rather strange day of surprises. Upon my arrival this morning it seemed to me that everyone was greeting each other much more formally. Normally each person walks in and says ohiogozaimas a couple times and the others will say it back. I've noticed that it's really more of a gozaimas with some, a zaimas, and with others still just a ahsssssss, which sounds like the way snakes might greet each other to me. But anyway, this morning they were coming in, giving full bows a few times, saying something that I didn't understand and looking rather humble through it all. The big boss came in and said something pretty loudly with a big smile to which all replied and bowed. So all this is just the new year, post-vacation ritual, I guess.
But also, throughout this day, other people have been coming to our office in small groups, maybe three to five, and bowing and saying things and going to the boss's desk and addressing each other, and each time nearly everyone in the office stand up and bows and greets them. I say nearly everyone because I just sit here oblivious to it all until it is too late. The people have passed behind me, everyone else is standing, and it's halfway over before I realize anything out of the ordinary is happening. It's amazing how quietly the whole room can stand in unison. But it doesn't seem to be offending anyone. "Oh, you uncultured American. Just stay seated and try and look busy."
Ah well, live and learn. Next year I will wear that suit on the first work day of the new year, not expect lunch at lunch time, and put a mirror on my desk so I can see what's going on.

Have to tell you about what I did for New Years, but as I have four more days here after this, I'll just save it for one of them. Hope everyone had a good celebration and that the new year is off to a good start.