So long, 2021, hello, 2022! This week, we welcomed the new year, and most of Japan headed back to work. Last year was wild and, sadly, ended with a really short holiday off work.
The few national holidays people get for year-end celebrations fell on a weekend, leaving only December 31 through January 3. Thus, January 4 marked the first workday of the year (仕事始め).
Here are a few selected tweets to take a peek at the atmosphere during Japan’s this first week of the new year!
Five more minutes
明日仕事始めの方に向けて
For those who start work tomorrow.”
“危ない！！あと5分が一生つづく”
Danger! Five more minutes will last a lifetime.!
Mascots work too!
おはくま～！仕事始めいってくまーす！
“O-hakuma! Let’s get to work!”
Gloating Woody
年末年始も関係なく働いた者達だ。
面構えが違う。
“These are the people who worked through the New Year’s holidays.
They have different attitudes.”
仕事始めで憂鬱になってる人のツイートを見て喜ぶ者
“Those who rejoice when they see tweets from people who are depressed about the start of work.”
‘Happy New Year’ in Japanese
These phrases are for specifically after the New Year holiday. Some Japanese articles on business manners even consider January 7 the end of the greeting period. But it’s hard to catch up with everyone within a few days! Regardless, here’s how you wish your boss and colleagues a happy start as soon as you’re back in the office.
- けましておめでとうございます。(Polite)
- 明けましておめでとう。(Casual)
- あけおめ。(Very casual. Only use with people you know very well!)
Extra polite
Want to be extra polite? Add your thanks for their help and support in the previous year, and anticipate the year to come with gratitude.
- はおになりました: Thank you very much for your help last year.
- もよろしくおいします: I look forward to working with you this year.
Using email
Finally, when it comes to greeting the new year via email, there are a couple of words written slightly differently for politeness.
- becomes (this year)
- becomes or (last year)
Vocabulary
Japanese Romaji English 仕事始め shigoto hajime First day of work of the year に向けて ni mukatte For…[targeting a group of people] 一生 isshou Life-time, life-span 面構え tsuragamae Attitude, countenance, look 憂鬱 yuuutsu Gloom, low spirits, melancholy
